


Revisionist History, Volume One

by rae_marie



Series: Echoes In the Universe [1]
Category: Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Gen, powerful immortal alien befriends tiny mortal cinnamon roll
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-06-28 19:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15713976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rae_marie/pseuds/rae_marie
Summary: A young student finds mysterious things happening at her school.... Things....not of this planet....





	1. Episode One

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired to write this after two things: one, a major Big Finish listen-through, and two, reading Bad Machinery by John Allison almost in its entirety while recovering from a hospital visit. The listen-through made me want to explore a certain character's morality more (can't say who, though, for spoiler reasons), and Bad Machinery made me want to tell a fantastical sci-fi story set at a (possibly futuristic) grammar school.

'Just like her.'

Blair muttered this while stomping down the school hall, her angled red fringe in her eyes, her face crimson, and her green eyes blurring. She didn't care about any of it - well, except her eyes. She wouldn't let _them_ see _that_.

She stalked into the classroom. As she strode over to the standing desk, she shot an indignant look at a tall, blond-haired girl nearby, who thoroughly failed to notice. Blair looked at the bunsen burner on her desk.

'Hmph.'

'What was that, Miss Sanders?' Mr Teacher asked. Blair didn't look up; she mustn't meet his kind eyes; she mustn't cry....

'Nothing, sir,' she said, and looked in her drawer for her notes.

Blair took out her notes, and absentmindedly putting them on the desk, turned back to the drawer.

Everyone screamed as the fire alarms went off. Blair frantically looked around and saw her notes ablaze atop the burner. _Not again...._ she thought, and then grabbed her backpack and ran for the door.

'Everyone out in an orderly fashion!' Mr Teacher shouted over the chaos. Blair got into line and filed out along with the rest of the students. She stood against the wall outside, apart from the others, who were all whispering to each other. They weren't supposed to do that. But it wasn't _them_ Headmistress Sunderland walked down the hall towards, it was Blair. She started to get shaky as Mrs Sunderland stepped up to her, frowning.

'You - ' she barked, 'to my office. _Now._ '

*****

Blair looked partly at the floor, and partly at Mrs Sunderland standing behind her desk.

'That's the third time this week, Miss Sanders. I warned you last time if you set fire to something in Chemistry once more, action would be taken.'

'I'm so sorry, Mrs Sunderland; I was distracted. I'd just lost a best friend.'

'I don't care what your excuses are, Miss Sanders; they won't get you out of trouble.'

Blair's head jerked up. 'It's not an ex - '

'Enough!'

Mrs Sunderland glared at her, then took a deep breath and continued.

'I'd wanted at first to put you in detention during Chemistry, but since you can't be skipping out on classes, I've come up with an alternative.'

 _Oh, no...._ Blair groaned inwardly.

'I'm switching your class. You won't be taking Chemistry anymore; _that's_ for certain!'

_Please not Biology...._

'You will be switching instead to a much more difficult class. It's what you deserve for being so disruptive.'

Blair stared at Mrs Sunderland, dreading what she was about to say. The headmistress sat.

'You are going to attend Physics from now on.'

Blair's eyes widened, and she recoiled.

' _Please,_ Mrs Sunderland, _no -_ the Physics teacher has a really scary repu - ' Mrs Sunderland rose.

'No arguments! I'll take you there now myself.' She strode over to the door. 'You will spend half of your lunch hour helping Mr Suzerain clean his classroom. Now come with me!'

*****

They were at the Physics classroom door. Blair was aware of every sensation; her cropped hair tickling her neck; the heaviness of the hall's air; her body shaking. Mrs Sunderland knocked.

'Who is there?' came a muffled voice from inside. Mrs Sunderland opened the door halfway. The teacher's back was to them.

'Retsam?' Mrs Sunderland said it quietly, but it seemed rather loud to Blair.

Mr Suzerain turned and glared at the headmistress, but she seemed oblivious. He spoke in an annoyed voice.

'What is it, Mrs Sunderland? I am rather busy.' Mrs Sunderland, still apparently oblivious, herded Blair ahead of her into the classroom, all smiles and cheeriness.

'This is Blair Kenneth-Sanders, from Henry's class,' she said, pushing Blair even closer to Mr Suzerain, regardless of Blair's trembling. 'She'll be joining your class tomorrow.'

Blair gulped. 'G....good....good afternoon, sir....' she managed to squeak out. He looked down at her, eyes narrowed and eyebrows drawn down, and Blair felt her legs shaking even more. She tried to focus on what he was wearing - the brown tweed suit; the old-fashioned waistcoat and bright yellow cravat - but it didn't calm her in the slightest.

'Tomorrow?' He was clearly talking to Mrs Sunderland, but he was also studying Blair intensely. 'And why, pray tell, is she here today?'

'A kind of detention,' Mrs Sunderland said. 'She keeps blowing up the Chemistry lab, so she's here to help you clean up for the rest of her lunch break. We daren't let her back in the lab to clean up _there!_ '

'I see.' He still didn't take his eyes off of Blair. She noticed they were the colour of coffee. 'I hope you won't try to "blow up" _this_ class, young lady,' he said. Blair gulped again.

'N....no, sir.'

'Hm.' He finally looked at Mrs Sunderland. 'Very well, then, Mrs Sunderland; you may go.' She ambled to the door.

'Thanks, Retsam!' Mr Suzerain frowned deeper.

'My name is _Mr Suzerain._ '

'Oh....sorry.' She stepped outside. 'Thanks, Mr Suzerain.' She slammed the door behind her.

Mr Suzerain looked daggers at the door for a moment, but then his face relaxed, and he smiled. He looked down at Blair, one eyebrow raised.

'Blowing up the Chemistry lab? That is the kind of innovative mind I wish to have here; not the tiresome students who tend to inhabit this class and appear to always be surreptitiously looking at their mobile phones. What a breath of fresh air.'

'Heh....' Blair laughed nervously. What was she supposed to make of him? Who stared you down one minute and made quasi-welcoming jokes the next? She watched as he turned towards his desk, brushing a lock of his brown-flecked grey hair away from his forehead. While short, it struck Blair that he had rather unruly hair for a teacher. He turned his head and looked at her sidelong.

'I do not require any help tidying the classroom.'

Blair's heart sped up more, if that was possible. What was she supposed to do.... 'Oh....I'm sorry....' she stammered, but he waved a dismissive hand.

'No; do not be. I do not require help, but would you like me to show you some of the material we will be covering tomorrow? To help you be prepared?'

Blair frowned. 'Er....all right.'

Mr Suzerain went to his desk, pulled over a book, and opened it. Blair watched him, still trembling a little. He turned partway towards her.

'As the expression goes; I am not going to bite you, Miss Sanders,' he said.

Blair hesitated, then walked over. Mr Suzerain pointed to a paragraph. Blair sighed, and started reading.

_Theoretically, if an astronaut flies at an abnormally high speed through space, stays out in deep space for a day, then flies back to Earth at the same speed, a month or longer may have passed on Earth by the time he arrives, even if the astronaut's voyage took him only three days. This is one effect gravity has on time._

By the time Blair had finished, she had stopped shaking. Her mouth was open a little. She looked up at Mr Suzerain.

'You're all studying time travel?'

He was smiling quietly at her. 'Yes. Does it interest you?'

'Yeah! I just didn't know science took it seriously.' Mr Suzerain chuckled.

'Well! I am glad, then, that I have gained a student who will actually pay attention.'

'Yeah. I'll sure be paying attention.'

Mr Suzerain looked at his chalkboard.

'Did you bring any books in your backpack that aren't for school?' he asked, without looking at Blair. She frowned.

'Yes, sir.'

'Why don't you sit at your new desk over there and enjoy yourself for a while, then?'

He waved in the direction of a desk, but Blair didn't notice; she was gaping at him. He looked sidelong at her again, this time with that same quiet smile he'd had before.

'Well, go on, then,' he said.

*****

Blair practically barreled into her flat that evening.

'Mum!' she shouted. 'Mum - you wouldn't believe what happened in school today! I have this new teacher, and he - Mum?'

She drew up short, and stared at the table in front of her, where a note was propped against some books.

' _Mum!_ Why are you away again?'

She picked up the note and read it.

_My promotion at work means I have to stay extra hours today._

_I'll see you tonight._

_\- Mum_

Blair sighed and looked at the note as if looking at it could make the words change. But no such luck.

*****

The next day, Blair was enraptured by what she was hearing. Mr Suzerain was standing in front of his desk, reading from the book he'd shown her yesterday. She couldn't believe her ears; it was as if all her favourite stories were coming true around her. Mr Suzerain looked up from his book and clapped it shut; _loudly._ A few of the students around Blair jumped. He looked cooly around the room; all the students were staring at him, except for one student who was engrossed in what Blair thought was a _Dan Dare_ comic.

'Are there any questions?' Mr Suzerain said. Blair looked around at everyone, but they all seemed too petrified to say anything. 'Anyone?' he reiterated. 'No?' Blair raised her hand. 'Yes, Miss Sanders?'

'I'm having a hard time understanding some of the _concepts_ linking gravity to time dilation. Can you explain it in more simple terms?'

'Yes; take the astronaut, for example. When he is in the vacuum of space, there is no gravity, so - '

The bell rang. There were sighs of relief all around Blair.

'On to your breaktime, students. If anyone has any questions, stay behind to ask me.'

Blair watched in disbelief as all the students rushed to get out the door first. She stayed at her desk until she was sure she wouldn't get trampled, then got up and walked to Mr Suzerain's desk. He smiled wearily at her.

'Now you see what I mean about my students not showing much interest,' he said. Blair shook her head.

'You were right about the mobile phones. And the kid with the - '

' - comic book? Yes; I'd noticed.' Blair's eyes widened.

'How on Earth did you see _that?!_ He had it well hidden!'

Mr Suzerain, still smiling, raised one eyebrow.

'Perhaps I can read minds....' Blair stared.

'Are....are you serious, sir?' she breathed.

'Perhaps....'

She grinned. 'You had me going there for a minute.'

'Did I....? Well. What was it you wanted to ask me?'

'Could you explain time dilation in simple terms.'

'Yes. Time tends to slow down the higher gravity is. That is why time slows down in black holes. The astronaut in the textbook's example experienced time faster because he was in a vacuum; a place with no gravity.'

Blair was spellbound. 'Why does gravity do that?' she whispered. Mr Suzerain frowned slightly.

'Ah. That is a mystery which cannot be explained in "simple terms", I am afraid. I am sorry.' 

Blair looked disappointed, but nodded. 'That's okay. Thanks for explaining what you could, Mr Suzerain.' He smiled that quiet smile again.

'You are most welcome, Miss Sanders. Is there anything else?'

'Umm....well....some of the stuff is really hard to understand. How can I understand it better?' Mr Suzerain looked pleased with the question.

'Hm. That is a rather complex dilemma. However....'

He narrowed his eyes and seemed to study Blair again. Blair looked away, a bit unsettled. It was so quiet that she could hear the tall clock in the corner ticking away the seconds, very softly.

'Miss Sanders, you are exceptionally bright for your age. I believe that if you simply pay attention to the lessons and refer any questions you have to me, you will go far.'

Blair looked back at him, surprised.

'Thank you, Mr Suzerain - I - ' She paused, not quite used to being complimented by a teacher. 'I....I think you're the nicest teacher ever. I don't know how the other students can say you - '

She stopped, realising what she was about to say. Mr Suzerain smiled, a little wryly.

'Oh? What do the other students say about me?'

Blair went scarlet.

'I probably shouldn't - '

'Oh, come now, Miss Sanders. Speak honestly with me.'

Blair sighed. 'Well....they say you're really scary. And strict.' Mr Suzerain chuckled.

'I suppose enigmatic can appear frightening at times.' He moved away from the front of his desk.

'You should probably go to your lunch break. You don't want to miss it two days in a row.'

'No, sir.'

'Run along, then. I shall see you in class tomorrow. Have a good day.'

'You too, sir.'

Blair retrieved her backpack and left.

*****

Several days later, Blair was in History, staring angstily at the teacher's demonstrations. She noticed the blond-haired girl next to her was looking quite cheerful; of _course_ she was; she hoped Ellen was very happy with herself.

'Does anyone here know how Stonehenge was built?' the teacher asked. Blair raised her hand, and he sighed. ' _Yes,_ Blair?'

'Mr Monk, no one knows how Stonehenge was built. It's one of history's great mysteries.' Ellen turned her head and looked angrily at her. Mr Monk closed his eyes briefly, then looked at Blair again.

'Nice try, Blair, but that is _not_ true. Stonehenge was built with complex machinery not understood by people today.' Blair sat up straighter.

'Sir, I don't think that's true. I can show you evidence - '

'Blair.' Mr Monk raised his hands in a patronising gesture. 'Why don't you let those more experienced in history teach the class, eh?'

Blair slumped back in her chair, scowling at the desk. Fortunately, the bell rang just then, so she grabbed her backpack and bolted for the door as fast as she could. Running down the hall, she saw Mrs Sunderland stop outside the History classroom, and slowed down. Mr Monk must've joined her, for she heard Mrs Sunderland say,

'I didn't think she'd take to that new class of hers, Mortimer. What a surprise!'

And for some reason, this made Blair smile briefly, though it hardly erased her current problem. She quickly found the correct door, and dashed inside without knocking. Mr Suzerain, who had been grading tests, looked up at her in surprise.

'You are early, Miss Sanders. Is something wrong?'

Blair sat down at her desk with a huff. 'Yes, sir. History's wrong.' Mr Suzerain looked unnerved.

'History....?'

'History class.' He seemed to relax with this explanation. 'The teacher is always patronising me;' Blair continued, 'he gets all kinds of facts wrong, and always talks down to me when I correct him.' Mr Suzerain looked surprised.

'Have you discussed it with Mrs Sunderland?' he asked. Blair sighed.

'No. I probably should, though. Not that she'd listen, anyway.'

They both looked up as all the students started pouring in. Everyone took their seats, and Mr Suzerain slid away his test papers and stood up.

'Good morning, students. Today, our lesson will be about velocity. Velocity is - oh. Hello. And you are....?'

A boy who couldn't have been older than eight had just wandered in. He looked up at Mr Suzerain and grinned.

'I'm Thomas Andrews. I've been sent here from another school for Physics class.'

Everyone stared.

Mr Suzerain managed to get over the surprise quickly, and simply said,

'Welcome to our class, Mr Andrews. Why don't you take a seat over there?' Everyone watched as Thomas found a desk.

'Now,' Mr Suzerain started, and then almost all eyes were on him. 'Velocity is speed combined with direction. And _yes,_ Mr Hansen, velocity has _everything_ to do with the space craft Dan Dare is currently piloting in the panel you are on right now.'

The boy looked up, startled, and a little scared. Blair smirked, but quickly hid this behind her textbook.

*****

Everyone had left the classroom except for Blair and Thomas, who were standing in front of Mr Suzerain's desk.

'Why did you want to see us, sir?' Thomas asked.

'I first wanted to ask you, young man, if you have your classes confused. You appear to be below the normal age group for this particular class.' Thomas nodded.

'I know, sir. My parents want me to get a higher education early.'

'I see.' Mr Suzerain looked a bit curious at this. 'Are you struggling with the material in any capacity?'

'No, sir.'

'Hm.' He looked at Thomas questioningly for a moment, then continued. 'Let me know, Mr Andrews, if you ever _do_ have any difficulties.'

'I will.'

'Good. Run along, then.'

Thomas grinned. Blair and Mr Suzerain watched as he dashed off and ran out the door, then Blair turned to Mr Suzerain.

'What did you want to see _me_ for?' He smiled.

'Ah, yes; I wanted you to consider doing a project; a visual presentation of sorts, on velocity. I thought perhaps the other students might benefit from having a person their age explain today's lesson.' Blair's face had slowly lit up through this whole explanation, and now, she clapped her hands in delight.

'Oh - that'd be _fab_ , Mr Suzerain! Where do I start?'

'How about getting posterboard from the supply room? Then bring it back here and I'll give you a few ideas on how to put together a presentation.'

'All right!'

Blair turned and skipped out. She made her way to the supply room and opened the door. A low growl greeted her.

Blair froze.

'H....hello....?' she whispered. Whatever it was growled again. Blair gulped.

'Umm....is everything all right?' she squeaked.

She screamed when a hand touched her shoulder from behind. Whoever it was screamed back.

'AAHH! I'm SORRY!'

Not expecting this, Blair whirled around. Mr Monk was standing behind her, looking just about as terrified as she did. His curly hair and mustache seemed to be standing on end.

'You scared me out of my _socks!!!_ ' Blair shrieked.

'I'm _sorry!_ ' Mr Monk yelped again. They stared at each other for a minute, then Mr Monk spoke.

'Is there anything I can help you with?' he asked, still sounding shaken. Blair took a deep breath.

'Yeah. Posterboard. I came here to get a sheet of it, but there was a really creepy sound, and I got scared and couldn't go in.'

'Oh.' Mr Monk breathed a sigh of relief. 'Well, there's no posterboard in there. Sorry.'

'Okay. Thanks.'

Blair turned and started to walk off, but Mr Monk called after her.

'Wait - Blair - that sound you heard. It wasn't a low growling, was it?'

Blair stopped, startled. She didn't turn, only said, as casually as she could, 'Yeah, Mr Monk. It was.'

'Oh. Well....I _doubt_ it's anything to worry about.'

Blair, now _quite_ rattled, dashed back to Mr Suzerain's classroom. She poked her head in the door.

'It isn't in the supply room. What should I do?' Mr Suzerain didn't look up.

'Why don't you try the basement?'

'Okay. I'll be right back.'

Relieved after having gotten away from Mr Monk and that creepy noise, Blair dashed down the hall to the basement door. She opened it, and tiptoed down the stairs.

And once more, she screamed.

*****

Mr Suzerain got up from his desk and put the Physics teaching manual back on the bookshelf with a look of disgust. He muttered to himself.

'Why do they think I need a _manual_ to teach this class, the cre - '

There was the sound of a scream from the direction of the basement. It took a moment for him to realise what he'd heard, but once it had clicked that his _name_ was what was being screamed, he frowned and looked briefly in the basement's direction. Hopefully it was not happening already.... He checked his inner coat pocket, withdrawing the familiar cylinder; yes, there it was; in case this really was an emergency this time.

He left the classroom, and after carefully locking the door, strode to the basement, slid the door open, and stepped out onto the short staircase.


	2. Episode Two

Blair heard the door open, and heard someone step out onto the landing, but she couldn't move. It wasn't because of fear, like usual; she simply _couldn't move._

'Miss Sanders, did you - _ah._ ' Blair was motionless as Mr Suzerain calmly walked down the stairs and up to her. 'It's quite the sight, wouldn't you say?' She struggled to reply.

'Mr S....S....Suzerain....there's a giant dinosaur in the school basement,' she finally whispered.

'So I see, Miss Sanders.'

She continued to stare at it. 'It's....it's....'

And then she moved. To her own surprise, she dashed forward to the cage and started smashing the cage's lock against its bars.

'Miss Sanders, what are you doing?' His voice was completely calm, and she couldn't understand _why._ _She_ was certainly panicking.

'I don't _know,_ Mr Suzerain!' she cried. 'I....I can't stop myself!'

'Miss Sanders.' His voice was still unperturbed. 'You _must_ stop.'

'I _can't!!!_ ' Blair was frantic now; her mind felt foggy. 'What's going _on!?_ '

Mr Suzerain took a step towards her. ' _Feel_ your fear, Blair Kenneth-Sanders,' he said. His voice barely seemed to register, but somehow the assertive tone of it cut through. ' _Feel it_ ; coursing through your mind.'

She almost dropped the lock.

'You are _terrified_ of this creature;' Mr Suzerain persisted, taking another step forward, 'you have no desire to set it free.'

Blair struggled with the confusion in her head for a moment, and then gasped and practically wrenched herself away from the cage, but the fog seemed to be returning, and she didn't know if she could fight it off. Mr Suzerain's voice cut in again.

'Now. Turn around and look at me.'

'I can't move!' Blair almost shouted it. 'It's like it's controlling me! Please - _help!_ '

'Think, Blair Kenneth-Sanders,' Mr Suzerain said, still as calm as ever. 'Clear your mind. Listen to _me_ ; to my voice, and turn _around_.'

'I....'

She focused with all of her might, and then with another gasp of effort, she whirled around as fast as she could and locked eyes with her teacher. He beckoned. 'Good. Now walk over to me.' Very slowly, Blair walked over to his side, never taking her gaze off of him.

'There.' He clicked his fingers, and Blair blinked. Her eyebrows scrunched.

'Mr Suzerain - if....if it can control minds - it's going to kill us!' Her voice shook. Mr Suzerain held out his hand level with hers.

'Take my hand,' he said, still somehow unfazed by the whole thing. She clasped it hard, and he gave her the flicker of a reassuring smile. 'We shan't be killed whilst we have fight in us yet.' He turned and looked back at the thing in the cage.

'What are you, creature?' he demanded. 'Who brought you to this school?'

The dinosaur roared in response. Blair whimpered and gripped Mr Suzerain's hand tighter.

'I AM A PLUTOSAUR!' the thing roared. 'ONE OF YOUR PEOPLE BROUGHT ME TO THIS WORLD TO BUY IT! IT IS OUR _RIGHT_ TO HAVE THIS PLANET OF LESSER BEINGS!'

Mr Suzerain narrowed his eyes. 'You are mistaken, creature,' he said. 'You do _not_ have the right to rule this planet. That privilege belongs to another. I shall not allow you to have any manner of governance over it.' The Plutosaur only laughed and roared again.

'AND YOU WILL STOP US? I KNOW YOU - YOU ARE A LITTLE SCHOOL TEACHER WITH A RIDICULOUS NAME - "RETSAM SUZERAIN"! NO ONE WITH A NAME AS STRANGE AS THAT COULD EVER STAND IN OUR WAY!'

Mr Suzerain smiled; his eyes still narrowed. Blair had the thought spring through her head that she was rather glad she wasn't the Plutosaur. 'Ah, but do you know the _meaning_ of my name? It is, after all, a mere alias; a pseudonym; although my true name is concealed within it. Rearrange the letters of "Retsam", and translate "Suzerain" to modern English, and you will comprehend the meaning.' The Plutosaur laughed again.

'WHAT DO THESE WORDS MEAN?' it roared.

'They mean....' he paused.

' _Master._ '

There was a silence. Then Blair noticed the Plutosaur backed up a bit.

'NO - ' it shouted. 'NO! IT _CANNOT_ BE YOU!'

'Hmm....you are _frightened_ now, I see,' the Master said. He glanced down at Blair. 'Miss Sanders, tell me - how does the Square-Cube Law apply to objects becoming smaller?'

Blair, who had been scared speechless throughout this whole episode, started a little.

'Is this any time for an impromptu test....? I haven't studied....'

'You better have paid attention in class, young lady.' The Master reached into his coat's inner pocket and withdrew a cylinder. He aimed its orange-bulbed end straight at the cage, his finger hovering over a button on its side. Blair shook her head in confusion.

'The Square-Cube Law says that if a living object is reduced in size by a great amount, it ceases to function because it is too small to function normally.'

'Precisely,' the Master said, and pressed the button.

The Plutosaur was hit with a shaft of light, and quickly shrank to a quarter of its size, bellowing out a loud roar that soon became a squeak. Then there was silence.

*****

The Master switched off the Tissue Compression Eliminator and returned it to his pocket. He looked down at Blair. She was staring at the cage with her mouth slightly open. There was a beeping sound; she jumped and she looked at the watch on her wrist, then up at him.

'I need to get home,' she said. He heard the tremor in her voice. 'I....I'm really scared. Can you walk me home?' He nodded; her young human mind of only twelve years was no doubt shaken by what she had just witnessed, and there was no reason to be callous about it. Besides. He knew what he had to make certain of next.

*****

Blair kept up her death-grip on the Master's hand as they walked down the pavement. She had been silent up until now, but she had just worked up enough courage to ask a question, so she broke the silence.

'What's a Plutosaur when it's at home?'

'An extra-terrestial reptile,' the Master said. 'Carniverous, of course. Which is why it is a good thing you ceased to unlock its cage.'

'What's it doing here, then?'

'Exactly as it said; somebody brought it here.'

'Who?' But at this, the Master shook his head slightly.

'Mm; no. I have my suspicions, but it is probably best not to voice them.'

By now they were at Blair's front door, where a note was taped. She groaned, and peeled it off.

'"Will be home late, don't get into any trouble." Yeah. Sure.' She shoved the note in her blazer pocket.

'Isn't your mother home?' the Master asked. Blair put her key in the lock.

'Nah, Mum'll be late. Again.' She turned the key. 'Come in; I'll make you a cuppa.'

'There is....really no need....' he protested. Blair gave him a frank look.

'It's the least I can do for you saving my life.'

They looked at each other for a moment. Blair thought the Master looked uncomfortable.

'Very well,' he said eventually. 'Lead on.'

Blair smiled and opened the door. She led him into her flat and gestured to a chair in the front room.

'Have a seat. I'll be right back with the tea.'

She ran off to the kitchen.

*****

The kettle boiled, and Blair poured the water into the waiting teapot. She closed the lid, picked up the tea-tray, and (trying not to spill it) hurried back into the front room.

There was a small table where the chairs were; she put the tray down on it and sat in the chair across from the Master, looking at him with wide eyes.

'So.'

'Yes?'

'Are you from MI5 or something?'

The Master smirked a little. 'MI5? No. Why would you think that?'

'Because you're obviously undercover. How else would you know about aliens and the like and have a Weird Fizzy-Thing of Doom that shrinks stuff?'

'How indeed.'

Blair laughed. 'Unless _you_ were an alien or something, but come _on!_ That wouldn't make sense!'

'Oh....it wouldn't?' Blair shook her head.

'Nah - you'd need a spaceship, and you haven't got one of those.' She reached over and poured the tea into a cup and handed it to him. He took it.

'Thank you.'

'Also, you wouldn't have such a funny name - "The Master". I mean, it's pretty conspicuous for a code name if you ask me.'

The Master's eyebrows shot up and he nearly choked on his tea. Blair gasped and took his cup from him.

'Are you all right?' she asked. He coughed.

'Yes - I - ' He coughed again. 'I am.' He gave her a quizzical look. ' _I_ do not think it particularly "funny"; it is _my name_ , after all....' He paused. 'I understand you were frightened when we were in the basement and likely would not have noticed, but I am not sure how you did not notice on the way home. You were gripping my hand rather tightly.'

Now it was Blair's turn to look quizzical. 'Notice what?' The Master held out his hand.

'Feel my wrist, Miss Sanders.' Blair looked confused, but put the cup down and took his wrist. She frowned.

'I don't get it.'

'Can you not feel my pulse?'

Blair concentrated for a moment, then her eyes went wide and she dropped his hand.

'But....but....you _are_ an alien, _aren't_ you!? But....where's your spaceship?'

'Have you noticed the grandfather clock near my desk?'

Blair thought back to the tall clock that was always ticking away quietly in the corner. 'Seriously? You fly a grandfather clock?'

'I do.' The Master reached for his teacup again. 'You make exceptional tea, by the way.'

'Thanks!' Blair stared at the table. 'An alien drinking my tea! I must be losing it!' She shook her head and looked up at him again. 'So why are you teaching at my school?'

'As you so succinctly put it, I am undercover.'

'Woah....' Blair whispered.

'I am attempting to uncover who or what is conveying the Plutosaurs to this planet and stop whomever is responsible.'

Blair stared at him, grinning. Then she squinted.

'Hang about - if you're so undercover, why are you telling me all this?' she asked. The Master looked nonplussed.

'I wished to satisfy your innate curiosity.'

Blair shook her head. Apparently aliens didn't watch reruns of _The Avengers_. She'd have to tell him. 'A good spy never tells anyone what he's up to, 'cos they might tell people.'

'Ah.' The Master slowly set his teacup back down on the table. 'I was.... _coming to that._ It soon will not matter what I have told you.'

Blair frowned. 'Why....?' He didn't look up.

'Because you will not be able to tell anyone in a moment.'

Blair squinted again, then opened her eyes wide and stood up a bit too quickly, nearly knocking the chair over.

'Why....why _won't_ I....?' she whispered shakily. The Master looked up.

'Oh; no - do not _worry_ , Miss Sanders; I am not going to do anything unpleasant. Just....ah....look into my eyes for a moment.'

Blair practically coughed the laugh out. She dropped back into her chair and laughed again. 'You're gonna _hypnotise_ me?' she said. He gave a tight nod.

'Correct; as you yourself said, it would be disastrous if anyone discovered my true mission at your school. Now look into my eyes, Miss Sanders.'

'Wait a minute.'

The Master frowned. 'We do not have a minute - '

' _Wait!_ ' Blair leaned forward. 'Before you do your whole alien-hypno-whatsit-thing, I need to ask you one more question.' The Master looked understanding.

'Oh, I assure you; there is nothing to be afraid of, it will most likely be the most peaceful experience you have ever had.'

'That wasn't what I was going to say.'

He sighed. 'Then what precisely do you wish to know?' Blair couldn't help it; she grinned.

'I was going to bring up that most secret agents have a sidekick. And I was wondering if I could be yours. I want to help you save my planet.'

The Master didn't speak. He only stared in amazement.

After a long pause, he chuckled, and a strange smile crossed his face.

'I have never _had_ a volunteer before.' Still smiling, he watched her through narrowed eyes. 'You really do _trust_ me, don't you.' It was true. In spite of her small fear, she really _did_ trust him. She wondered how he knew. But then he frowned and shook his head. He seemed reluctant.

'I do not think it is a prudent idea, Miss Sanders, as much as I appreciate the offer. I do not think you could keep quiet.' Blair's face lit up.

'Oh, I'm _great_ at keeping secrets! I've kept Mum's Christmas present quiet for almost a year now!' The Master offered her an indulgent look.

'This is a much greater and more dangerous - '

'Oh, you haven't met Mum's present yet. It's tried to bite my hand off three times already. I'm starting to think they gave me the wrong fish at the pet store.'

He chuckled, and momentarily studied Blair again, and this time she didn't turn away; she only looked up at him hopefully. Then he spoke.

'I accept your offer, Miss Sanders; on a provisional basis. If you have kept quiet after a week, I will allow you to assist me.'

'Sounds good to - '

'I have not finished.' Blair clammed up, and the Master continued. 'If, Miss Sanders, I hear _anyone_ discussing my identity in that week, first they, and anyone they have told, will have their memories wiped - and yes, I have the technology to do that - and then after their memories have been wiped, you will be immediately placed under hypnotic control.' He paused, and gave Blair a serious look. 'This entire situation does not concern only you. Do you wish to retract your offer?'

Blair didn't even hesitate. 'No. That's reasonable enough.'

'Are you certain?'

'Yeah.' Blair smiled. 'I'm well sure.' The Master put out his hand.

'Very well, then, Miss Sanders.' She took his hand and shook it. Then she frowned.

'Oh - yeah - Mr Suzerain - can you please not call me by my last name? I don't really like my last name that much.' He raised an eyebrow.

'Whyever not?'

'Oh....' Blair looked down, ' _reasons_. It's a long story. I prefer my middle name - or my first name, really.'

'Very well, then, Miss _Kenneth_.' Blair looked back up at him and grinned.

'What should I call you?'

'Oh....whatever you like, as long as you don't call me late for tea. _And_ as long as no one hears my true identity at school.'

'Okay.'

Blair picked up her teacup and sipped in silence. The Master followed suit, but soon put his cup down and looked curiously at Blair.

'I would like to see this secret fish of yours,' he said. 'Would you perhaps care to show it to me?'

*****

A few days later, Blair sat in the History classroom, again watching Mr Monk's demonstrations with a lot of angst.

'Does anyone know when Britain was invaded by the Normans?' he asked. Blair raised her hand, but he ignored her, and passed the question on.

'Ellen, do you know the answer?'

Ellen nodded eagerly. 'Britain was invaded by the Normans in 1066.'

'Yes! That's right! Good job, Ellen!'

Blair scowled deeper and slumped in her seat again. _I could've answered that,_ she thought. _At least he got the information right_ this _time._

'I want you all to study hard for the test tomorrow,' Mr Monk said, just as the bell rang. 'All right, everyone! On to your next class! Oh, and Ellen? Can I talk to you for a minute?'

'Yes, sir.'

Blair was at the door by now. She cast a look behind her, nose wrinkled, before stepping out and sliding the door shut behind her.

*****

They were still studying velocity in Physics, and as Blair looked around the room at all the other students, she couldn't believe that she and Thomas were the only ones listening to what was being said. She shook her head and turned back to her notes.

 _How am I so lucky,_ she thought, _to have the world's best class ever waiting for me after the nightmare that is History?_

*****

After everyone had gone, Blair and Thomas stood at the Master's desk.

'How is your project coming along, Miss Kenneth?' he asked.

'It's coming along great! Thanks for the spare posterboard.'

'You are welcome.' He turned to Thomas. 'And Mr Andrews; are you still fully comprehending the lessons?' Thomas winced.

'Well....I'm actually having a bit of trouble, to be honest, Mr Suzerain.'

'Would you like extra tutoring during lunch break?' the Master asked.

'If it's no trouble....'

'It is no trouble in the least.'

'All right.' Thomas fidgeted and ran a hand through his tight, curly black hair. 'Um....I left my notebook in History class. Can I go get it, Mr Suzerain?'

'I can get it for him,' Blair put in.

'Very well,' said the Master. Blair hurried out.

*****

Blair slowly pushed the door into its groove and stepped into the dark room. She inched towards Thomas' desk, and was almost there when she heard a sound like a bumpy rocking chair. She gulped, and looked around to try to see where the sound was coming from.

_Knock-rock. Knock-rock._

She jumped when she realised it was right at her feet, but she cautiously knelt down next to whatever it was and examined it.

It was a large egg, or at least that's what it looked like. It was about the size of a rugby ball, and when Blair poked it, it rocked agitatedly and made a knocking sound. Blair started to feel her face get hot and her breath get shorter. Then she heard footsteps and turned to look at the door, where a figure stood.

'Blair? Is that you?'

Mr Monk walked in.

'I....I had to get Thomas' notebook for him and I saw something odd....' Blair stammered. Mr Monk came over.

'Oh? Like what?'

Blair pointed. 'This giant.... _egg!_ '

Mr Monk bent down to look at it, then straightened and laughed.

'Ha! Oh, that's just part of my rock collection, Blair. It's nothing weird.'

'Oh.' Blair wasn't buying it. 'Okay.' Mr Monk tilted his head and looked at her.

'Is something wrong?'

'I'll be fine. Thanks.' She stood up. Her mind was going at a hundred miles an hour, and she couldn't find a solid thought to settle on. She hoped it didn't show on her face. Forgetting entirely about the notebook, she bolted out the door and ran all the way back to the reliable wooden door of the Physics classroom. She opened it, and charged in.

Both Thomas and the Master looked up as she entered. Thomas waved a composition book.

'Blair! Mr Suzerain found another notebook for me! Somehow it had got stuffed in the clock in the corner!'

'Oh....good. I'm sorry, Thomas; I forgot to get yours.'

The Master raised both his eyebrows. Blair shot him an anxious look.

'Er....Mr Suzerain? Can I talk to you privately?' The Master looked at Thomas.

'Mr Andrews, would you step outside for a moment, please?'

'Sure!' Thomas, oblivious to any weirdness, hurried out, reading his notebook on the way. They watched him shut the door.

Blair looked back to the Master. 'Is it safe to talk in here?' she asked. He waved the question away.

'I disabled any surveillance equipment in here a long time ago. Now, what is the matter?'

Blair sighed. 'I'm not really sure. When I went to get the notebook, I heard a weird, rocking, thumping sound nearby. I poked around, and found what _seemed_ to be a huge egg - it even made sounds inside when I tapped it. Then Mr Monk came in and found me there.'

The Master looked startled, but Blair kept going.

'He said it was part of his rock collection. I know I'm biased, but I think he's up to something.'

The Master tapped his fingers on the table and looked fixedly at Blair. 'Miss Kenneth....who is Mr Monk?' he asked, in a tone that seemed to be strangely apprehensive for him.

'My history teacher,' Blair said. 'The one who gets everything wrong and patronises me.'

The Master closed his eyes and sighed.

'I should have _known_ it was him.'

'What?' Blair leaned forward, now eager. 'What's going on?' The Master opened his eyes.

'Your patronising, inaccurate teacher is concealing Plutosaur eggs in your History classroom. He is the one who brought them here; I am certain of it.' Blair's eyes were wide.

'Why? How are you so sure?'

'His name. Tell me; have you ever heard Mrs Sunderland speak to him? Has she called him by his first name?'

Blair thought for a moment, then remembered hearing his name when she'd been running down the hall - the day she'd found out about the Plutosaurs. 'Yeah....it was Mortimer, I think.'

'If only I had known. He is from my planet, Miss Kenneth.'

Blair yelped.

'And he has quite the reputation for interfering in other planets' affairs to accumulate wealth.'

Blair grimaced. 'Oh, no - I have to go to his class tomorrow!' Mr Suzerain looked at her with an uneasy expression.

'Do not let him discern that you know who he is. It could end ruinously.'

'I won't. Don't worry.'

The Master gave a weak smile. 'The week is almost over. You have not failed me yet; I do not think you will do so in the future.' Blair shook her head fervently.

'I won't let you down, Master Suzerain. You can count on me.' She turned, and looked over her shoulder. 'I have to go to lunch now.' She started towards the door.

'Miss Kenneth?' 

She stopped and turned again.

'Yes?'

'Be on your guard.'

She nodded, and walked out the door.

*****

It was Friday; the last day of Blair's trial week, after Physics class. Blair was eating a packet of crisps, waiting for the Master to finish Thomas' tutoring session. Finally, Thomas got up and walked to the door. He and Blair smiled at each other as he went by, and Blair waved. Then, Blair turned towards the Master, who was walking up the room towards her. He sat down at a nearby desk and looked at her in a rather cool manner. She wondered what was wrong. Then again, he was always rather aloof, so maybe it was nothing.

'Miss Kenneth, there is something we must confer about,' he said.

Oh. So maybe there _was_ something wrong.

'What's wrong, Master Suzerain?' she asked. 'Did Mr Monk find out about us?'

'It would appear so.'

Her heart sunk, and then started to flutter.

'What happened?' she said. The Master reached into a pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.

'I came into my classroom this morning, and found this note pinned to my desk. It was in the Monk's characteristic scrawl, and it said, "Blair Kenneth-Sanders told me who you are. Beware."'

Blair's lungs felt like they were being flattened.

'Do you happen to know anything about this?'

Blair stared at him. So this was it; he'd never believe that she'd said nothing - why should he? She'd go back to being an lonely secondary school student, who didn't help alien visitors save the world. Or maybe she wouldn't even be able to know her own mind; she had no idea what hypnosis _really_ was like outside of books, but she suspected it wasn't very dissimilar. Well, at least she could try.

'I know nothing, sir,' she said. 'I don't know what on Earth he's talking about. I was very careful all week - even when I was scared - to not say anything about you. Honest.'

The Master watched her expression carefully. 'Are you certain?' he asked.

'Yes, sir. But....I suppose you don't believe me. I understand if you have to do the hypnosis thing.' She looked down at the floor, her heart still fluttering. It really was disappointing.

'No,' The Master said after a moment. 'I would know if you were lying, and you are not.' Blair looked up, stunned. 'Do not fear. I trust you, Miss Kenneth.'

She stared again, then laughed nervously. 'Th....thank you - so much....' The Master nodded, and looked down at the note again.

'The question remains as to how this note came about.' Blair thought for a moment.

'Do you have something you could scan it with?' she asked.

'Actually, I do.' He drew the cylinder he had used to shrink the Plutosaur, fiddled with a few switches on it, and ran it over the paper. 'Hm.'

'What is it?'

'It appears to be saturated with Chronon Particles.' He scrutinised the paper.

'What's Chronon Particles?' Blair asked.

'They tend to appear on people and objects that have traveled through the Time Vortex.'

'The what?'

The Master looked up. 'It does not matter. The most pertinent thing is, this note is quite possibly from our future.'

Blair stared at it. 'A time-travelling note? Are you serious?'

'Quite serious.'

'Woah.' She leaned closer to get a better view of it. 'How'd that happen?' The Master looked at it again.

'That is hard to say. I suppose we will find how in our future, if my theory is correct.'

'Incredible,' breathed Blair.

The Master looked up at her. 'Miss Kenneth, I believe you have proven you are competent enough to join me in my mission. You may assist me.'

At this, Blair grinned and jumped up, almost knocking the chair over.

'Oh, this is _great!_ _Thank_ you so much!'

She ran over and flung her arms around the Master, who gasped and spluttered.

' _Thank_ you!' Blair said again, and let him go. He seemed to not quite know how to respond.

The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch break, and Blair dashed over to retrieve her backpack.

'That's my next class - I've gotta go! Let's start saving the world on Monday, Master Suzerain!' She grinned and dashed out of the room.

*****

Ellen had come back into the History classroom to find the compass she'd left behind; she needed it for Maths.

'It's got to be in here _somewhere_.....' she muttered.

'Can I help you, Ellen?'

She looked up, not expecting Mr Monk to be back in the classroom. 'Oh! Mr Monk! I left my compass behind. Have you seen it at all?'

'I'm afraid I haven't. I'm sorry. Can I ask you something, though?' Ellen nodded enthusiastically.

'Yes; of course!'

'I have a project I'm working on. Do you think you could help me with it? It involves large reptiles.' Ellen's face lit up.

'Yes! I love lizards - I'd be happy to help!' Mr Monk grinned.

'Great! Let me show you something odd that I found in the basement.'


	3. Episode Three

Three days later, Blair was getting up from her desk in History class. She started to leave, but Mr Monk called after her.

'Blair,' he said, 'can I talk to you for a minute?'

Blair turned, frightened. 'I think I need to get to physics class....'

'Only a minute,' Blair glanced nervously towards the door.

'Er....okay....' She walked over, shuffling her feet. Mr Monk stared at her a bit unnervingly, and Blair looked away, frantically trying to figure out an escape route.

'Blair,' he started, 'you _have_ to stop being disruptive in class. Stop asking so many questions. Your friend Ellen - '

'She's not my friend anymore!' She was shouting, but he didn't seem to care.

'Your _former_ friend Ellen is a good example of a good student. You should follow her ex - hey! Are you paying any attention to me at all?'

Blair quickly looked back at him, and then something strange happened. It was like she was seeing Mr Monk through a wall of water, but his voice was still clear.

'Look - stop disrupting class, eh?' he said, as clear as day. She stared at him, confused.

'All right,' he continued. 'Go to Physics.'

She just stared at him. She didn't really want to move; she felt like falling asleep. He frowned, got up, and came over.

'Go to Physics class,' he said, and turned her towards the door. He gave her a little shove, and she hesitatingly walked out.

The hall seemed just as foggy; it was like she was walking through the ocean. The ocean. Yeah, that was it. _Is this how fish feel all the time?_ she thought. She managed to find the wooden door and walk in. She knew they were there, but she didn't pay attention to any of the other students, and sort of noticed the Master throwing her a concerned look, but didn't think much of it. She sat down at her desk.

 _I just want to sleep,_ she thought. She closed her eyes, and then noticed dimly that she was falling forward.

*****

' _b l a i rk e n n e t h ?_ '

Blair thought she felt someone shaking her. She thought she heard a voice, too, but the sound was so far away she couldn't be sure.

' _can you hear me?_ ' So it _was_ a voice. It was a bit clearer, now, too.

' _Wake up._ ' the voice said. She groaned. She wanted whoever it was to stop shaking her.

'Miss Kenneth, you _must_ wake up.'

Now the voice was really distinct, and so was the clicking sound in front of her face. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up. Although she still couldn't focus right, she saw the Master, studying her worriedly. He reached into his waistcoat pocket and took out a fob watch, which he proceeded to swing in front of her face.

'Follow the watch with your eyes, Miss Kenneth,' he said. 'Back....and forth....back....and forth....' Blair blinked and shook her head.

'Wh....what?' Everything was a bit clearer now.

'Can you hear me?' the Master asked.

'Master Suzerain?' she mumbled. 'Is that you?'

'Yes,' It was like his voice was cutting through the fogginess. 'Listen to me,' he said. 'I am going to count down, and when I click my fingers, you _must_ come to yourself.'

'What....' Blair mumbled again. It didn't make sense. Why was he counting? He clicked his fingers, and suddenly the world came into focus. Blair blinked.

She looked around, then looked back at the Master. 'Master Suzerain?' She looked around again. 'Where am I?'

'You are in my classroom.'

Blair squinted. 'How did I get here?' The Master sat on the turned-around desk chair across from her.

'You strode in here like an automaton, sat at your desk, and promptly fell asleep.'

'Oh.'

'You slept through the entire class.'

Blair shook her head slowly. 'I don't remember any of that.'

'I suspect you wouldn't. Do you remember anything strange occurring in History class?'

Blair thought for a moment. 'Yeah....sort of. I was asked to stay behind, and when I went to talk to Mr Monk, he said something about how I needed to stop being so disruptive. I was looking around for a way out, and he told me off for not paying attention, and I don't remember anything after that.' 

The Master nodded. 'As I thought. You have been hypnotised, Miss Kenneth.'

'No....'

'I would not say he did a very good job of it. I am assuming he wanted to stop your general nonconformity; not to make you fall asleep in your next class.'

Blair made a desperate gesture. 'What am I going to _do_ , Master Suzerain?' she groaned. 'I can't go back there _now!_ I'm bound to get found out! What if he hypnotises me to find out if I know anything about his Earth-invasion?!'

'I doubt he would have the skill to do that;' the Master said in a consolatory tone, 'I would not let it trouble you. However....' He paused, thought for a moment, then got up and waked to the door.

'I am going to see what I can do about getting you a pass, so you need not attend History anymore.' Blair caught her breath. 'Stay here. I shall return shortly.' He started out the door.

'Wait....' He turned back and looked at her. Blair was faintly grinning.

'You de-hypnotised me with a _pocket watch?_ '

He raised an eyebrow. 'Yes....?'

'Cliché much, sir?'

The Master chuckled. 'Do not get into any trouble while I am gone.'

He left, and shut the door.

*****

The Master strode down the hall with purpose. Although he doubted the Monk's hypnotic ability - after all; he had only just shown how badly developed it was - he did not wish to take any chances. Arriving at Mrs Sunderland's office, he knocked on the door.

'Come in!' came her cheerful, irritating voice. He opened the door and stepped in.

'Oh! Retsam!' Mrs Sunderland greeted him. 'Hello!' The Master frowned; this was getting ridiculous.

'Mrs Sunderland, I have told you often enough; my name is _Mr Suzerain_.' Now Mrs Sunderland frowned.

'Oh....right,' she said, suddenly frosty. 'Well, what can I do for you, Mr Suzerain?' The Master straightened a little more.

'I am here on behalf of one of my students; Blair Kenneth.' Mrs Sunderland looked curious. 

'Oh, yes! How's she doing in your class?' The flicker of a smile crossed the Master's face; recalling how Miss Kenneth was succeeding pleased him greatly.

'She is thriving, Mrs Sunderland. She has an exceptional intellect.'

Mrs Sunderland seemed to affect a smile. 'Glad to hear it.' The Master could not help but think that she did not care in the least. 'So what's the problem, then?'

'She is struggling in History class. You might even say she is being bullied in History class. I have come here to obtain a pass for her; so she need not attend anymore.'

Mrs Sunderland immediately shook her head. 'Oh, I'm sorry, Mr Suzerain, but I can't do that. If you'll remember, the reason she is in Physics and not detention in the first place is because I will not let her skip classes. I just can't allow it.'

The Master frowned. 'Mrs Sunderland, you - '

' _No_ , Mr Suzerain.' She was almost glaring at him, although she was still smiling. 'I'm sorry, but no.'

Quite frankly, the Master was weary of dealing with this. With a pang of exasperation, he remembered why he had set up this fail-safe in the first place.

'Mrs Sunderland, _who am I?_ ' he said. 'You do.... _remember_ , do you not?'

Mrs Sunderland frowned at him, then her eyes went wide, and then vacant.

'I....you....you are the Master, and....and I must obey you.'

The Master stepped forward. 'Yes. That is better. You will write a pass for Blair Kenneth-Sanders that excuses her from History class.'

Mrs Sunderland mechanically reached for a pen.

*****

Blair had almost finished her crisps when the Master came back in. He walked over and placed a piece of thick paper on her desk. She leaned over to look at it, and gasped. She looked at him.

'How'd you manage _that?!_ '

He smiled. 'I have my ways. Use it wisely, Miss Kenneth. I would recommend studying history from an accurate source during the class' normal hours.' Blair looked back at the pass in wonder.

'I will. Thank you so much.'

She looked back down at her crisp packet, paused, and then brandished it at him.

'Would you like a crisp, Master Suzerain?' she asked.

*****

At the end of English class the next day, Blair walked outside to the stone wall that was on either side of the footpath leading up to the entrance. She sat down on it, and pulled a book on Georgian England out of her backpack. She was so engrossed in the book that she was quite startled when it was suddenly knocked out of her hands. She looked up, and the trio of students laughed at her.

'So how's the goody-two-shoes-teacher's-pet?' one girl said. 'Not in History class, but still studying? You can't even play hooky right!' Blair only rolled her eyes.

'I am _not_ a goody-two-shoes; if you'll remember, I set fire to something in the lab _three times_ in one week and nearly got detention. Besides; I'm not playing hooky; I have permission to be out of History.'

'Yeah; I'm sure you do - maybe it's 'cos you've somehow got the Spartan we have for a Physics teacher on your side.'

At that, Blair scowled.

'Don't you _dare_ insult Mr Suzerain!' she shouted. 'He's well kind - nothing _you_ lot'd know about!'

'Words, words, words....' said another girl.

'Yeah - and they're more accurate ones than _yours -_ you don't even know how to use the word "Spartan" right!'

'Whatever,' said the boy who was standing next to the second girl. The first girl leered.

'Let's see how "kind" Spartan Suzerain is when you show up for class in a dirty uniform,' she hissed. 'Get her!'

The three students grabbed hold of Blair and tried to drag her off of the stone wall, but she clung on with all of her might. She tried to kick at them, but they held her legs down as soon as she started. Blair gritted her teeth and made ready to swing her one free arm at them.

'Ahem.'

They let go of her and whirled around.

Blair slumped over the wall. She turned her head, and could see the Master out of the corner of her eye, standing there, looking cooly at the bullies.

'Are you not meant to be somewhere _else_ right now?' he asked. They were all staring at him, except the boy, who fidgeted anxiously.

'We....we....'

'Young man,' the Master said, quietly, and utterly clearly, 'you are to _look_ at me when we are conversing.' 

The boy looked at him, and also stared.

'That is better.' The Master gestured towards the school building. 'Now go back to whatever classes you absconded from at once. _Obey me._ ' The bullies scurried off, and Blair breathed a sigh of relief. The Master came over and helped her off the wall.

'I do not foresee any more trouble from those particular students today,' he said, bending to pick up her book, 'however, if you would rather not be alone, you may accompany me to my classroom.' He handed Blair her book, and she clutched it.

'That'd be good. Thanks, Mr Suzerain.'

'You are welcome.' Blair got her backpack, and they started towards the building.

*****

At her desk, Blair tried to concentrate on her history book, but couldn't get the memory of the bullies out of her head. Her heart wouldn't stop pounding, either, so in the end, she sighed and put the book down.

The Master stopped grading tests and looked at her.

'What are you reading?' he asked. Blair sighed again.

'It's about the Georgian period in England. I'm trying to get the facts straight, but I just can't concentrate right now.'

The Master looked over at his grandfather clock for a moment, then looked back at Blair.

'Would you _like_ to "get the facts straight," as you put it? So straight you needn't read that book ever again?'

Blair looked up. 'How?' The Master stood.

'Come with me.'

Blair watched him go to the grandfather clock and start to unlock the door where the pendulum hung. She got up and came over, curious. The Master opened the door.

'Step inside,' he said.

Blair tilted her head to one side. 'Your spaceship? How in the Galaxy are we gonna fit in there? And what does it have to do with Georgian England?'

'You shall see.'

Blair raised an eyebrow, but shrugged, and ducked through the door. The Master followed.

She squinted once she got in, thinking she needed to get her vision tested; she seemed to be seeing things farther away than they should be. Then her eyes widened, and she blinked.

She looked around.

'Great _SCOTT!!!_ ' 

'Yes; it's bigger on the inside; I know.' She turned to look at him. He had the hint of a smile. 'What if I told you it travels four-dimensionally?'

Blair stared at him. 'You're joking....' she breathed. His smile grew a little.

'No; I am not "joking". The TARDIS - that is what my ship is called - traverses space _and_ time. So, Miss Kenneth, the question remains. Do you wish to see Georgian England for yourself?'

Blair's jaw dropped.

'Would I _ever!_ ' she exclaimed.

The Master's smile grew to full as he turned and went to the large console in the center of the room. He flipped a switch, and the room lit up. Blair felt dreamy as she turned around and looked at the softly glowing overhead lights; the sepia-toned walls with its little round-glowy-things; the central console with all its glowing buttons, levers, and sliders. Everything just _glowed._ She gasped in delight.

'We could stay for a few hours, or a few days,' the Master said. 'Which do you prefer?' This brought Blair back down to Earth, and she frowned sadly.

'I have to be at school....and Mum would wonder what happened to me.'

'This is a time machine, remember? We could be away for a whole year and come back to school three minutes before we had left. If that did not break all the laws of time, that is.' At this, Blair's face lit up again.

'Oh, _please -_ can we stay a few days?' The Master nodded.

'When would you like to arrive?'

Blair thought about this. There were all sorts of things to take into consideration, but there was that _one_ thing....

'1811,' she said. 'I want to see a first edition of _Sense and Sensibility_.' The Master opened his mouth to speak, but Blair guessed what it was and broke in.

'Don't worry; I won't take anything home. It'd probably erase me from history or something.' The Master looked relieved.

'A wise perspective. I see I can dispense with the usual warnings about bootstrap paradoxes and metaphorical butterfly wings.'

'Well....you kind of told me about all those things before,' Blair conceded. 'In class. And then....I kinda read a lot of H. G. Wells. You know. _The Shape of Things To Come_ , and all that.'

The Master smiled at her again for a moment, but it was an odd smile. He quickly turned away and muttered something under his breath; Blair thought it was, 'Magnificent.... I wonder....' but she couldn't be sure.

The Master started pushing buttons and sliders, and finally, he pulled a large lever, and the TARDIS made a strange sound; a bit like a gust of wind funneling through trees, although a bit more rough-sounding than that.

'We are on our way,' he said, and Blair clapped her hands.

'Hurrah! What do we do now?' The Master made his way to the doorway in the back.

'I will show you where the TARDIS wardrobe is; you can change into something more sartorially appropriate for 1811 there.'

*****

Blair opened the door and twirled into the corridor.

'Ta-da!' She stopped and smoothed the teal fabric of her dress. 'This is _great!_ ' She pulled the straw bonnet onto her head and beamed.

The Master smiled, and walked to the wardrobe. 'If you will excuse me....' he said, and shut the door.

When he came out, he was still wearing the same waistcoat and shirt, but his cravat was tied differently, and his collar was turned up. And instead of his usual tweed, he was wearing knee-breeches and tall, brown boots. Blair grinned.

'Woah - you look like you stepped out of a manor house - not a spaceship wardrobe.' The Master chuckled.

'As do you.'

'Fab! What do we do now?' The Master gestured in the direction of the main room.

'Simply step through the door....' he said.

'That's it?'

'Quite. Are you ready?'

Blair closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened them again.

'Yes.'

*****

As soon as they set foot outside the TARDIS, Blair could smell the salt in the air.

'Where are we?' she asked.

'A small Cornish village,' he replied. He rummaged through a pocket and took out several coins, which he handed to Blair.

'Spend them wisely. And I believe you know my meaning.'

'Don't be penny wise, temporally foolish?' He chuckled.

'Yes.'

Blair looked around at the rugged scenery. 'If we get separated, where should we meet up?'

'The TARDIS. One moment....'

The Master rummaged through his other pocket, and withdrew a shiny key hanging from a chain. He slowly handed it to Blair without letting go of the chain.

'This is an extra key to the TARDIS. Do _not,_ under _any_ circumstances, let it out of your possession.' He looked at her pointedly. 'Do you understand me?'

Blair couldn't help but stare at it. She eventually looked up and met his earnest expression.

'Oh, yes; I understand. Thank you very much. I'll guard it with my life.' The Master gave an approving nod.

'Be sure that you do,' he said, and let go of the chain.

*****

A short time afterwards, the two of them were walking down the road in the village. Blair couldn't help but stare at everything they passed, taking it all in ravenously. She saw one particular building and pointed.

'Look, Master Suzerain - a bakery! Can we go look?'

'If that is what you wish,' the Master conceded, and they headed towards the door.

*****

The Master smiled a little as he watched his companion. She was standing in front of a display of small cakes with currants in them; 'Queen Cakes', he remembered they were called. A baker came over to where she was standing.

'Would you like one, Miss?' he asked. Miss Kenneth looked up and nodded vehemently.

'Yes, please, sir,' she said. The baker picked one up and handed it to her.

'That'll be half a shilling, Miss.' The Master was thrown a look of confusion; of course - she was not familiar with currency from well before her time.

'Sixpence, Miss Kenneth,' he said in a low voice. She understood, and handed the baker six pennies.

'Here you go, sir,' she said. 'Thank you.'

'Eh! Thank _you_.' The baker looked at the Master. 'Anythin' for you, sir?'

'No thank you; we may return, however,' the Master replied as Blair came back to his side. The baker smiled.

'Good, then,' he said. 'Have a fair day.'

*****

Blair wanted to go to the haberdashery after that, and as soon as they were inside, her attention was caught by a shelf full of dolls dressed in beautiful silk gowns. She walked up to them and stared, and soon, another girl, with brown hair and a dress a slightly lighter shade of blue than her own, joined her.

'That dress is splendid, is it not?' the girl said, pointing to one doll in particular. Blair looked at the girl, startled a bit.

'Er....very splendid.'

'I wish I could have it,' the girl continued. 'Or a new bonnet - mayhap with feathers.' Blair fumbled for what to say.

'Mayhap you will....?' she managed, but the girl shook her head.

'Nay; I think not. My family is not able to afford such things.'

'Nay?' said Blair. 'I am sorry.' She turned slightly to look at another of the dolls, and saw the Master smirking at her out of the corner of her eye.

'What is your name?' the girl asked. Blair turned back to her.

'Oh - I'm Blair,' she said. The girl furrowed her brow.

'Blair? That is a peculiar name!'

Blair once again felt a bit taken aback. 'Oh....I don't think it's so peculiar....it's _my name_ ; I've had it all my life....' And then, she paused, and glanced quickly at the Master, coming to a realisation, and then a resolution. She thought for a moment.

'What's _your_ name?' she asked the girl eventually.

'I'm Eliza,' she replied. 'Are you new in these parts? I do not remember seeing you here before today.'

'Oh, I'm just visiting,' Blair answered quickly. 'I'm here to learn.'

'Learn....? What are you learning?'

'Er....cultural stuff. I'm not exactly from around here.' Eliza laughed.

'I can tell - you have a strange manner of speaking! Oh - I have an idea! Where is your chaperone?' Blair squinted.

'My what?'

The Master came over and deftly took up the conversation.

'I am here,' he said. 'A pleasure to meet you, Miss Eliza. What idea were you thinking of?'

Eliza looked up. 'Oh! I did not see you there! I am sorry; Mr....?'

'Mr Retsam Suzerain.'

'Mr Suzerain, I wonder if you and Blair would like to stay at my parents' inn tonight. We serve an evening meal there, as well.' The Master shook his head.

'Thank you, Miss Eliza, but we have other accommodations.' Blair turned to him.

'What about dinner? We would have to eat somewhere, anyhow.' The Master paused.

'Hm. We shall see. Where is your parents' inn?'

'Not a quarter-mile to the east.' The Master nodded.

'Thank you, then, Miss Eliza; we may indeed take you up on at least _half_ of your offer.' Eliza looked delighted.

'You are welcome, sir! I hope to see you both again tonight - it is not often we have strangers in this town, and I must confess you both make me quite curious.'

'I'm sure we'll see you again, Eliza,' Blair said. 'We're here for a few days.'

'You are?' Eliza's face lit up. 'Oh, that is good!'

The Master turned towards the door. 'We must go, Miss Kenneth,' he said.

'Okay.' Blair started after him. 'See you later, Eliza!' She waved as they went out the door.

*****

The Master was smiling wryly again as he and Blair walked down the street the way they had come.

'"Splendid", "Mayhap", and "Nay", Miss Kenneth?' he asked. Blair grinned.

'Well....' she said, 'wouldn't want to put a dent in time or something by saying "Rad", or, "You never know", or, "No way, man!"'

The Master chuckled. 'It would make no more of a "dent in time" than your drollness would.' Blair grinned even wider.

'Better watch out, Master. I could end up saying "Wotcha!" to Robin Hood next....'

The Master chuckled again, then stopped, and thought for a moment. He had just realised what Blair had said. He looked at her.

'You called me "Master" just then. Not "Master Suzerain".'

Blair only shrugged. 'Oh, why not. It's your name after all.'

The Master considered this for a moment. It was certainly an interesting development.

They had reached the bakery again. He opened the door for Blair, who dropped an exaggerated curtsy.

'Why, thank you, good sir!' she laughed, and ducked inside. Slightly bemused, he followed.

*****

It was evening. Blair and the Master were walking in the direction Eliza had told them to go to find the inn. The view was beautiful in the dusky light of the sunset, but Blair had her mind on other things.

'Master, are we any closer to stopping Mr Monk yet?' she asked.

'A little closer,' he replied. 'I am currently attempting to discover the means by which the Plutosaurs plan to take control.'

This was interesting. 'Have you found any clues?'

'I have. I am led to believe it is a mechanical device which will somehow give the Plutosaurs power over at the very least the local population, if not the entire planet. The latter is more likely, however.' Blair shivered, and wrinkled her nose.

'That's well scary. How does it work?'

'I do not know as of yet,' the Master said.

Blair couldn't decide whether she should be scared of this new news or not. After all, it _was_ a potential mind-control device, used by a bunch of mind-control dinosaurs, but then again, there was also her alien teacher-cum-friend, and if _he_ couldn't stop Earth from being overpowered by alien mind-controllers, then who _could?_

They had arrived at a building with a large sign hanging off of it. Blair almost laughed; for on it, in large lettering, was 'Lantern Inn', and if that wasn't enough, it had a large picture - of a bed with a lantern hanging over it - painted under the words.

'They're big on advertising, aren't they?' Blair said.

'Many people could not read in this era, Miss Kenneth. The paintings on the signs allowed those who could not read to understand the purpose of the establishment.'

She looked at the sign again. 'Wow. Okay.' Her gaze wandered a little, and then she gasped, grabbed hold of the Master's arm, and dragged him through the doorway.

*****

Inside the inn, the Master swiftly freed himself from Miss Kenneth's grip and frowned.

'What is the meaning of this?' he demanded, but seeing her frightened expression, softened a little. 'What is the matter, Miss Kenneth?'

'You can call me crazy,' she whispered, her tone shaky, 'but I'm _sure_ I just saw Ellen and Mr Monk walking down the street.'

The Master's eyebrows rose, and he turned back to the door. Very slowly, he looked around the edge of the doorframe and saw, in full Georgian costume, Miss Hastings and that exasperating Mortimus the Monk walking down the street, mercifully _away_ from the inn. Still, it was best to be prudent.

'Stay out of sight,' he said in a low voice.

'Is it them?' she whispered back.

'It most certainly _is_ them.'

'How on Earth....?'

'Not Earth. The Monk is one of my people, remember? He came here in his own TARDIS, most likely.'

'But _Ellen?!_ '

'You came here with me.' He turned, and seeing her scowling at the ground, raised an eyebrow.

'What is it you have against Miss Hastings?' he asked. Miss Kenneth scowled more.

'Mr Monk.....he's been ridiculing me for a while, you see.' She sounded choked. 'Ellen used to be my best friend, but one day, she started to side with Mr Monk. I asked her to stand up for me, 'cos whenever _I_ stood up for myself, it just ended in more ridicule.' She paused, and gave a sort of stifled cough. 'At f....first, it....it was, 'We'll see', and then, 'Oh, I d....don't know', and then just plain 'No.' Figures she's hanging out with _him_ now.

The Master looked at her, comprehending.

'Who knows what scheme they're up to together.'

'Blair, I am so sorry,' he said. She looked up at him, and he saw that she was blinking more than usual.

'You....you understand?' she said. He nodded.

'Just because I am not of your world does not mean I do not understand how it feels to lose a friend,' he said, then he smiled at her. 'Likewise, I also know how it feels to gain one.' Blair looked surprised for a moment, then slowly smiled back.

'Is that Mr Suzerain and Blair?' The voice came from behind them, and they turned. There was Miss Eliza. Blair grinned at her.

'Hi, Eliza! How are you?'

'I am well,' she replied. 'And yourself? You seem troubled.' Blair shrugged.

'Oh....I'll be all right.'

'Are you here for the evening meal?'

The Master saw Blair give him a questioning look, so he nodded. She turned back to Eliza.

'Yeah. We'll be eating here.'

*****

Shortly, Blair was sitting on a bench at a long wooden table, eating stew. It was good, but somehow it didn't quite taste like the stew at home. Down the table from her and the Master sat a trio of young men, laughing loudly and thumping the table. It was a bit annoying, but oh well. Suddenly, an idea came to Blair, and she leant towards the Master and whispered,

'Maybe we should start looking for clues about the Plutosaurs _here?_ Maybe this is where it all starts, through time travel or something? You know; 'cos the Monk is here.' The Master looked thoughtful, then whispered back,

'It is a plausible idea, although we must avoid discovery at all costs. If the Monk finds out we are here, he will guess that I am of his people and that will put a damper on his scheme.' Blair frowned.

'But isn't that what we want to do anyway?' she asked. 'Stop whatever he's doing?'

'Not until we have discovered the Plutosaurs' means of control,' the Master said. 'It is _quite_ important that we find that out _first_.'

'Hey, who are you two, anyway?' called one of the young men. Blair shot them a skeptical look.

'We're - ' she started, but the Master cut her off.

'Ignore them, Blair; they are only seeking trouble.'

'"Seeking trouble", are we?' the man said, laughing. 'Are _you?_ We do not look too kindly on mysterious strangers in this town.'

Blair frowned. 'He's a _scientist,_ ' she said, with emphasis. 'And I'm his....er.... _apprentice!_ '

The three young men only guffawed. Blair's eyes narrowed a bit.

'Blair,' the Master said quietly, 'you do not want to cause a scene.'

' _Apprentice?_ ' the man said again. 'You are a _girl!_ Was the only way you could get an apprenticeship to cut your hair so short? So they would think you were a boy?'

Blair went crimson. Her eyes wide, she jumped up and _thumped_ her fists on the table.

'Who are you, _SIR,_ to defy a _LADY!?_ '

The man was smirking.

'I am Edmond Taft.'

'Blair - ' the Master put in, but she barely heard him.

'Edmond Taft, I throw my gauntlet to you!'

Blair heard a groan behind her, but didn't turn.

Edmond's friends were looking at each other, but Edmond himself continued to calmly smirk at Blair. 'Oh, really?' he said.

'YES!' she shouted. 'At dawn, with _swords!_ ' Edmond Taft laughed.

'And you think you can best me at - '

' _SILENCE._ '

Everyone at the table looked at the Master, who was composedly burning a hole in them all with his gaze. Blair looked down, blushing even more.

'Blair Kenneth,' he said quietly, 'you will refrain from throwing metaphorical gauntlets at the local population, and _you,_ the scurrilous Mr Taft, will kindly hold. Your. _Tongue._ '

There was an awkward silence, and soon the clinking of spoons started again. There was the sound of a door swinging open, and footsteps.

'Is everything all right?' came Eliza's confused voice. 'Did I miss something?'

*****

'I'm so sorry, Master,' Blair said as they walked back to the TARDIS. 'My temper ran away with me.'

'I understand your temper, Blair; what he said was clearly offensive, but you must be cautious with how you act upon it. Time travel is a delicate responsibility. Do you understand my meaning?'

Blair nodded, still blushing. 'Yeah. I get it. I'm really sorry.'

'It is quite all right,' the Master said. 'No harm was done.'

They stopped in front of a lone oak tree. Blair looked around.

'Master....I think someone's stolen the TARDIS.' The Master shook his head, rummaging in his pocket. He withdrew his key.

'No; it is only the chameleon circuits. She is right here.' He put the key in a knot on the tree, turned it, and a door opened inwards. Blair gaped, then laughed.

'Not much could surprise me now!' she said, following him in.

'You would be surprised to know how much could still surprise you,' the Master said. He shut the door.

*****

There was an alcove next to the Console Room. It had a tea-table, and a settee, and a chair in it, and it was in the chair that Blair sat as she and the Master drank tea and discussed the problem of Mr Monk.

'Do you think we should go home?' Blair asked.

'I do not think that is necessary,' the Master said. 'As you said before; it provides an opportunity to investigate. Perhaps you should keep your bonnet up to avoid detection?'

'Good idea.' Blair drained her cup and put it on the table.

'You should rest,' the Master said, watching her. 'Take your pick of any of the bedrooms down the corridor; they aren't locked.'

'All right.' She got up, and smiled at him as she walked through the Console Room. 'Thanks, Master. It's been a good day.'

She walked down the corridor and found a row of doors with a sign above that said 'quarters'. She scrutinised them for a moment, then nodded, stepped forward, and opened the door of the one on the far left. Once inside, she laughed. Yes. This would be her home-away-from-home, all right. It was perfect.


	4. Episode Four

Blair woke up and groaned. She didn't want to _go_ to school today. It would just be more of the same. Well, except for Physics, _and_ English, too. She groaned again and opened her eyes.

'Huh?' She looked around. There was a closet on her left, but she didn't _have_ a closet - and why was there a desk across the room? Blair blinked, then remembered.

'Oh....the TARDIS!' She smiled, and looked up at the ceiling. She was in a time machine, parked in 1811, in Cornwall. She couldn't believe her luck.

*****

The Master wanted to rip the printout into shreds, but restrained himself. He needed to finish reading it; needed to be certain....

Then he heard Blair's footsteps coming down the hall. He had to hide the printout; she would wonder why her name was in bold letters at the top, and she _mustn't_ know.... He looked around for somewhere to conceal it, but at that point, she walked into the room.

'Good morning, Master!'

He looked at her briefly, then back at the papers, then back at her. He must have been giving away more in his expression than he thought, for she looked startled and said,

'Woah! What's wrong?'

The Master took a breath and collected himself. He looked at her.

'Nothing you need to concern yourself with at the present, Miss Blair.' She frowned and came up to him; trying to see what the papers were.

'What're you reading?' The Master turned quickly aside, hiding the writing.

'Something from the TARDIS Databanks,' he replied.

'Oh....have you found something out about Mr Monk and Ellen?' 

'Ah.... _yes._ But do not trouble yourself, Blair.' He flicked the switch to open the door. 'Why don't you take a walk and enjoy yourself?'

'O.... _kay_....'

She paused, and then walked off. The Master turned just as she went out the door and watched her. She had a disquieted expression. He closed the door and sighed, then glared up at the time rotors.

'Why could you not be more _precise?_ ' he almost shouted. 'You cannot imply that she will die and leave it at that!'

*****

Blair tried to figure out what was wrong with the Master as she walked down the pathway leading to the hill that overlooked the sea. Her thoughts were interrupted, though, by a familiar voice.

'Blair!' Eliza came running up to her.

'Good morning, Blair! How wonderful to see you! Did you sleep well?' Blair laughed.

'I did, thanks! How are you?'

'I am well.' They walked up the path a little, up to the foot of the hill, where they paused.

'It's so beautiful here, Eliza,' Blair said. 'Do you come up this road often?'

And then, a great, long fencing foil dropped down on the ground in front of her.

They both looked up, and saw Edmond Taft grinning at them, holding a sword.

'I don't want to duel with you anymore,' Blair said.

'Too bad,' he replied. 'En garde!' He swung at her.

Blair and Eliza both shrieked and ducked.

'Won't miss you this time!' Edmond made another move, and now, when Blair dodged it, she grabbed the foil on the ground.

'Begone, Mr Taft!' she shouted, and tried to parry his blows. It was rather hard, as the sword was kind of heavy, and she really _didn't_ know how to fence. Somehow, though, she managed to fend him off for the time being. More or less.

*****

The Master walked along the path; he assumed Blair had walked down it, as he saw that the only footprints on the path were small, and leading this way, and besides; he thought he saw activity up by the hill ahead. He frowned. Was someone running towards him? They were. He picked up his pace, and soon he met with Miss Eliza, who flailed her arms wildly.

'Mr Suzerain - you have to stop him!'

'Who? What is happening, Miss Eliza?'

'Mr Taft!' she wailed. 'He assailed Blair whilst we were walking and I think he is trying to cut her head off!'

The Master took off for the hill.

*****

Blair didn't know if she could hold on much longer, which Edmond Taft was obviously noticing.

'You are failing fast, Blair!' he taunted.

'And whose fault is that, huh?' Blair panted. 'Who picked the heavy swords?'

A hand caught her sword hand and stopped it. Edmond Taft stumbled backwards and blanched. Blair felt the foil being gently pried out of her hand, and looked up to see the Master.

'They are only too heavy if they are not your size,' he said. 'And the foil you are using, Blair, is most certainly not your size.' He stepped in front of her and narrowed his eyes at Taft. 'But it just so happens to be _my_ size, you _cretin!_ '

And he sprung at him.

Blair could not believe her eyes. She had assumed the Master was probably in his late 50's, or maybe even early 60's, but the agile force he used to drive Edmond Taft backwards up the hill didn't fit that guess. Eliza came over and took her hands.

'I do not think Mr Edmond Taft quite knew what he was getting into,' she said. Blair only shook her head.

*****

Edmond Taft was hard pressed to not fall off the cliff's edge as he attempted to parry his opponent's strokes.

'You are....a skilled swordsman....' he gasped.

'I know,' was the reply, and without knowing what had happened, Edmond suddenly found himself flat on his back with his sword lying on the ground a foot away from him.

*****

'Someone just fell!' Blair cried. She tried to dash forward, but Eliza held her back.

'Do not endanger yourself, Blair!' she said. 'Your Mr Suzerain is the better swordsman; it will not be he who fell.'

*****

The Master had the point of his foil at the pathetic human's throat. He saw Taft try to reach for his sword, so he kicked it away over the cliff and put the toe of his boot on his chest.

'I could kill you very slowly,' he said.

'Please....' Taft gasped, 'mercy....'

' _Very_ slowly.'

Taft struggled to get a gulp of air. 'I....I was not going to kill her - I only was - '

'Be _silent_.' The Master did not say it loudly, but Taft paled and fell quiet all the same. Did this man really think he could fool anyone? 'I also have the skill to end your life with one flick of my wrist; in less than a second; so quickly, you wouldn't even have time to struggle. You wouldn't even notice. Which prospect terrifies you more?' Edmond stared at him, shaking.

'A....all.... _all_ of them!'

The Master did not remove his boot, or the sword.

'You know what the Web of Time is, Taft, don't you?'

'W....Web of....Time?'

'Yes; it is the reason I must do this; a pity, really. Remember this, Taft; _never_ threaten an ally of the Master again. I might not have to restrain myself next time.'

Taft's eyes were wide. Good. He was frightened. 'Wh....what are you going to do?'

The Master twisted his foot around quickly, and in a flash, Taft was unconscious.

'The Doctor is not the only one who knows an alien martial art,' he muttered, looking down at his unconscious opponent. He slowly lifted his foot, and then flung his foil over the cliff's edge and walked back down the hill.

Blair and Eliza stared up at him, wide-eyed.

'Th....thank you....' stuttered Blair. She was breathing hard.

'Do you have your key?' the Master asked.

'Y....yes....'

'Run back to the oak tree. I shall meet you there in a moment.' Blair nodded and dashed away.

Eliza stared up at Taft's still form on the hill. 'Does he still live?' she asked.

'He lives,' the Master said, 'however much he does not deserve it.' He paused, making certain Taft was still not stirring. 'Miss Eliza, I need you to look at me for a moment. Look into my eyes.' Eliza turned.

'Why do you need me to do....' She trailed off as she met his gaze.

'Do not be frightened, Miss Eliza, simply listen to my voice. I am the Master, and you will obey me.'

'You are the Master,' she intoned, 'and I will obey you.'

'There; that is right.... You did not see any duels this morning.' He held her gaze steadily. 'The only thing Retsam Suzerain is to you is a mysterious stranger who brought his apprentice to your village to learn.'

'Only....a stranger....' Eliza murmured.

'Good.' The Master clicked his fingers, and Eliza blinked.

'I....' she looked around, then back at the Master. 'Mr Suzerain? Where is Blair?'

'She had need to return to our lodgings,' he said.

'Funny....I did not see her leave.' Eliza frowned. 'Or you arrive, for that matter.'

'Blair and I must be leaving for rather urgent reasons,' the Master said. 'Would you like to wish her goodbye?' Eliza nodded.

'Meet us at the bakery in half an hour's time,' he said, walking back down the path towards the TARDIS.

*****

Eliza smiled as Blair and Mr Suzerain walked in through the doors of the bakery.

'Blair!' she exclaimed. 'You came!' She couldn't help but notice that Blair looked rather weary.

'Hi, Eliza,' Blair said. 'It was so lovely meeting you.'

'I will miss you,' Eliza said, 'but I brought you a present! Here.' She handed Blair a book. Blair stared at the cover with her mouth wide open. She looked up at Mr Suzerain, who nodded his head, and then she turned and grinned at Eliza.

'Thank you so much, Eliza. I shall treasure it,' she said. She stepped forward, and hugged her. Eliza gasped, but after a moment, Blair let her go and stepped back. Eliza laughed.

'Farewell, Blair,' she said.

'Farewell, Eliza.'

*****

As soon as she and the Master were back in the Console Room, Blair spit it out. 'I can't very well bring home a first edition of _Sense & Sensibility_, can I? There'd be questions asked.'

'I am afraid not,' the Master said. 'However, you could keep it in the TARDIS library, if you like.'

'Oh, that'd be great!' she exclaimed. She hadn't even known the TARDIS _had_ a library. 'Thanks so much!'

'This way.' The Master beckoned her towards the corridor. 'Come.'

They walked for a while, then turned right into a doorway. It opened into a large room with long shelves of books around the walls, and some even free-standing. Blair looked around for a moment, then found a shelf and put her book next to _Moby Dick_.

'Thanks for looking after it for me,' she said.

'You are welcome.' Blair turned around.

'Master?' She tried to be as serious as she could, despite the panic that rose in her throat at the thought of it. 'There was something off with Edmond Taft. Other than the fact that he randomly tried to kill me, I mean. Did you notice?'

'I did.'

'Do you have any theories?'

The Master came to her side and guided her back to the doorway. 'I do,' he said, 'however, now is not the time or place to discuss them. It is time we were getting back to Physics class.'

*****

Blair, back in full school uniform, stepped back into the classroom and looked around in wonder. The Master stepped out behind her.

'You wouldn't believe we were gone, would you?' she said.

'Not if I was one of the students who attend this class, no,' the Master replied. 'I would be too busy thinking about my _Dan Dare_ comic.'

Thomas hurried in.

'Mr Suzerain!' he said. 'I just heard a funny whooshing sound in the History classroom! Do you think everything's okay? It was so weird!'

Blair looked at the Master with meaning, but he only smiled at Thomas and said, 'Oh, it shouldn't be anything for you to be troubled about, Mr Andrews. Just think about Newton's First Law. That is what we will be studying today, you know.'

Blair almost laughed. She couldn't believe how casual he could be about it all.

*****

Ellen practically leapt out of a supply cabinet in the History classroom, Mr Monk right behind her.

'Oh, it's a _wonder_ we got back in one piece!' she exclaimed. 'What with the way your time machine is falling apart and all!'

'Never fear, Ellen;' Mr Monk said, 'once I give the Plutosaurs what they want, they'll only be too happy to give me the missing parts of the TARDIS. And with the way we set up that Edmond Taft bloke with a new patron, he'll be inventing the Plutosaurs' equipment in no time at all.' Ellen sighed.

'I guess so. He'd already invented a basic time travel device....'

'Exactly. And it helped the TARDIS stay together enough to get us back here, didn't it?'

'Yes....'

'So _trust_ me, Ellen. It'll all work out fine eventually.'


	5. Episode Five

The tree lights sparkled off the fishbowl on the sideboard, and Blair couldn't help but grin at the purple and gold fish swimming lazily around in it. There was a knock on the door.

'Would you get that?' came Mum's voice from the kitchen.

'Sure, Mum!' She skipped over to the door and looked through the window, then, with a laugh, opened the door.

'Merry Christmas, Mr Suzerain!' she said. He smiled back at her.

'Merry Christmas to you, as well, Blair. I brought you a present, as I have heard that is the custom for this time of year.' He handed her a small box wrapped in white paper.

'Oh, _thanks!_ Won't you come in?'

'I am afraid I cannot; I only wished to stop by and give you your gift.' He paused, and the fishbowl caught his eye. 'What did your mother think of the replacement fish we found?'

Blair smirked. 'She likes it a lot. Thanks for helping with that. I still don't know why the pet store had given me a piranha.' The Master was smirking as well.

'I cannot fathom why either.' He glanced over his shoulder. 'I must be off, but enjoy your present.'

'Thanks!'

The Master turned and walked away just as Blair's mum came into the room.

'Who was that?' Blair shut the door.

'It was my science teacher.'

'Ah.'

'He stopped by to give me a gift, but he had to go.'

'You're quite fond of him, aren't you?' she asked, sitting down on the sofa and flipping her long red hair over her back. 

'Yeah. Well fond.' She sat down next to her mum.

'What was his name again?' she asked. 'Mr.... _Suzerain,_ was it?' Blair awkwardly shook the box by her ear. It made an odd rattling sound. She hoped he hadn't been silly enough to give her some sort of alien artifact for Christmas.

'Yeah! That's his name.'

'Funny name, "Suzerain". I wonder where it comes from. I think it used to be a title of authority in the feudal system.'

Blair's eyes widened, and she pretended to cough into her sleeve.

'I had a favourite teacher when I was your age,' she continued. 'Except in my case, it was my English teacher. She gave me lots of good life advice. In a way, she even helped me get the job I have now.'

This piqued Blair's interest. Mum never talked much about her job. 'How so, Mum?'

'Oh, she kept me from being a terror, and taught me to work hard. Which I _definitely_ need at my job.' Blair frowned and looked at her.

'What _is_ your job, anyway? You've never told me.' Her mum smirked and tried to look mysterious.

'Well....it's a bit secretive. I mainly do secretary work, but sometimes I work in the field as well. I _even_ had to write an email to the Prime Minister the other day!'

Blair's eyes were wide. 'Wow! I didn't know.'

'That's all I can say, I'm afraid.' She stretched. In the kitchen, a timer started beeping. 'Aargh! I guess I'd better check on the roast. Be back in a moment.'

As soon as she was out of the room, Blair tore the wrapping off her present. It was a small tin, with a note attached. She read it.

_Although I could not risk giving you a box of the_

_real tea, this is as close to Pochillian Tea as I could_

_find on Earth. I hope you have a good holiday._

_\- Mr Suzerain_

And then some swirly circles at the bottom. She smiled, and opening the tin, found sachets of rooibos chai inside.

 _He said he'd take me to Pochillia some day,_ she thought, carefully putting the note in her pocket. She got up and walked to the kitchen.

'Would you like tea, Mum? That was Mr Suzerain's present.'

'Sure, love.'

Blair reached for the kettle and took it to the sink. Feeling Mum's eyes on her, she turned her head and saw her smiling at her.

'Your dad would be well proud of you, Blair,' she said. Blair turned back to the sink quickly enough to hide the dark look she knew she had. She shut the lid of the kettle with a bit more force than she'd have liked, and put it back on its stand, feigned a smile, and popped the switch.

'Thanks, Mum,' she said.

*****

Lying in bed that night, she hugged her teddy bear and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about how good that tea had tasted. Thought about her Mum's eyes when she saw the little fish. Thought about how the Master had popped by to give her a present; something that was obviously foreign to him. She smiled, and closed her eyes. It had been a good Christmas.

*****

A few weeks later, it was next year, and Blair was one year older.

 _Well, technically a bit older than that; I_ have _been travelling in a time machine,_ she thought. She was rather relieved she'd been put in Physics class for reasons other than her age, otherwise she might've had to drop it when she reached the next form.

She was actually in the Physics classroom right now; class had just ended, and Thomas wasn't being tutored today, so as all the students filed out, she quietly walked to the front of the room and stood side by side with the Master, watching them leave.

The last student was gone.

'I'm ready,' Blair said, and without a word, the Master moved to the TARDIS and unlocked it. Blair followed, and soon they were inside and the lights were on. The Master started programming the controls.

'So what have you learned?' Blair asked. 'You said it was important.'

Without looking up, the Master said,

'Edmond Taft is a time-traveller.'

Blair gasped.

'He is also an inventor. I have reason to believe one of his inventions is located on Space Station Twelve-Four in the year 3045. It does not belong in that time and place, and we are going there to investigate.'

Blair felt her heart flutter. She walked up to the console.

'We won't run into him again....will we?'

'I cannot guarantee that we will not meet him there,' the Master said, not looking up, 'however, I doubt he will want to stay for long after he delivers his invention.'

Blair frowned and looked at the floor.

'Before we go into space....'

'Yes?'

Blair shuffled her feet. 'I'm scared.' The Master looked up at her.

'Of what?'

'Well....I'm nervous about being in space, of course. But about Edmond Taft, really. There was something just....well.... _scary_ about him, and I'd rather stay away from him.'

'I see.'

The Master looked up at the time rotors in thought for a moment, and then looked back at Blair.

'It is nothing to trouble yourself with. I can manage the situation if it occurs.'

'But what if he tries to kill me again?' Blair didn't want to say it, but she had to. The Master shook his head.

'As I said. I can manage the situation. Never fear.'

Blair frowned, still not convinced, but then again, he was used to this sort of thing, so maybe he _could_ manage. 'Okay,' she said.

The Master pulled a lever, and the TARDIS took off, making that strange sound. Then, after a moment, the sound stopped.

'Are we there yet?' Blair asked.

'Yes.' The Master took a few readings on the Console's screen, then gestured towards the alcove. 'Why don't you sit there for a moment? I need to find something.'

Blair shrugged and went over the the settee, and the Master went into the corridor. When he came back, he was wearing a longer, thicker dark brown wool coat, and was carrying something black over his arm. He held it out to Blair.

'I ran an environment check, and the temperature is rather cold in the space station. Here.'

Blair took it. It was a cape. She put it on, laughing, and tried swooshing it.

'Fab! Thank you!'

'You are welcome,' the Master said. 'Shall we go?'

*****

When they stepped out, the TARDIS was shaped like a control panel from some futuristic spaceship. The Master locked it and passed the key to Blair.

'Here is the spare. Keep it safe.' Blair nodded, and they started down the passageway.

'So how are we going to find this invention?' Blair whispered. 'And what's it called, anyway?'

'It does not have a name,' the Master said.

'How 'bout "The Taft Machine"?'

'Very well. So; we shall find the Taft Machine with a detector I have built into my TCE.' Blair looked confused.

'"TCE"?'

'I believe you called it a "Weird Fizzy-Thing of Doom That Shrinks Stuff".'

'Oh!' Blair nodded. 'That!'

The Master was taking it out of his coat pocket even now. He flicked a few switches, and it started to make a weak, _wraw_ -ing noise which got stronger as they walked on.

'Excellent! We are going in the right direction.'

*****

It had gotten darker with each passing metre. The sound from the TCE was more enthusiastic now, and Blair couldn't help but feel extra-nervous. They stopped by a fork in the passageway; the Master scanning each one. He turned towards one on the right.

'This way.'

They kept walking, when suddenly Blair saw something. She turned back, and found a panel covering a square patch on the wall. She tugged at it, and it came loose, revealing a small passageway she could fit through. The Master had stopped and was watching her.

'Look - I think this might be important!' she said. 'Secret passages always are in books.' She clambered up to the edge and looked down a shaft she hadn't seen before. She had just about enough time to hear the Master's feet running towards her before she slipped and, with a cry of alarm, tumbled head-over-heels down the shaft.

*****

' _No!_ ' the Master growled, furious with himself for having let her walk away from him like that. He - _carefully_ \- leaned over the edge and looked down. Then he heard his TCE; it was making a rather more frantic sound now. So Blair had been on the right track after all.

He sighed, and attempted to fathom how he was going to get to the lower levels. He somehow could not stop thinking about Blair being dead at the bottom of the shaft. He shook his head; he had feared this was coming, so why should he feel so shattered?

He glimpsed something resembling a hidden door across the passageway and walked over to investigate. There was a panel of buttons next to it; a lift, perhaps? He frowned and pushed a button. The doors opened, revealing it was indeed a lift. He stepped inside and pressed the button he intuited meant _down_. The Taft Machine; that is what he should focus on now. Not a dead human child. He had _killed_ humans before, for goodness sake; why should he be concerned about this one?

The lift doors opened, and he stepped out. He looked up at the ceiling; the shaft Blair fell down should be to the right. He switched on the TCE and aimed it down that passageway; its sound grew weaker. The Taft Machine was to the left.

He turned right.

*****

The Master had not gone five metres when he heard the distinct sound of a plasma pistol being cocked. He stopped and switched the TCE to normal functions.

'Oi! Who're you?' came a voice. A man in uniform, indeed holding a plasma pistol, stepped into the light. The Master frowned.

'That does not matter,' he said. 'Tell me; the hatch from the deck above us; what is its purpose?'

'It's used to deliver supplies to the security cells,' the guard growled. 'That's where _you_ would be going if I didn't think you were too much of a threat....' his finger tightened on the trigger.

The Master's reflexes were quicker. He flicked the switch on the Tissue Compression Eliminator and fired it at the guard, who howled in pain then fell silent as he was rapidly shrunk down. The Master strode over to a panel of signs on the opposite wall and studied them. He found the one pointing to the security cells, and started off in that direction; perhaps she _had_ somehow survived the fall, however unlikely that was.

 _Time and tide wait for no man,_ came the thought in the back of his mind, but he angrily pushed it away. What the TARDIS Databanks had said _couldn't_ be as simple as all that; he must keep to his plan the best he could.

In several microspans, he had another problem. There was a guard outside the door to the security cells. No matter. 'Good evening,' he said smoothly, 'I am here to see the new prisoner; she - '

'Not a step further,' the guard said, and cocked his pistol, which made a rather different sound from the last one. A familiar sound, at that. The Master frowned.

'And you are....?' the Master asked.

'None of your business,' the guard said. 'But I should like to know who _you_ are. Only Twelve-Four personnel are allowed on this level, and you're not in uniform.'

'There is a simple explanation to that, guard,' the Master continued, unperturbed. At least the guard wasn't trigger-happy like the other one. 'Look at me.'

'I _am_ looking at you, and I don't recognise you!'

'Look into my eyes, then; see if you - '

The guard snorted. 'I'm trained against hypnotism as well,' he said. The Master sighed and levelled the TCE at him. 

'What a pity,' he said. 'I wished to spare you.'

The guard screamed when the beam hit him and dropped the pistol. As soon as he was miniaturised, the Master stepped over and picked the weapon up.

He studied it. It was most definitely a staser.

'I wonder....' He tucked away the Tissue Compression Eliminator and checked the staser's battery pack. It was still charged, so he clicked the settings to stun. 

'How fortunate,' he muttered. 'It will be better to rescue her this way....' He carefully put his hand on the door, and slowly pushed it open.

*****

'Just answer the question,' the man said. 'Are you here to sabotage the rendezvous this afternoon?' He was pointing a gun at her.

'I don't even know what you're _talking_ about!' Blair yelled. ' _Please!_ Just let me go!'

She gasped as he pulled back the firing lever.

'I don't know _anything!_ ' she whimpered.

'I know you're a child, but this is the _last time_ I'm asking you,' the man growled. 'Tell me - '

There was a loud, forceful ringing sound, and the man slumped over.

'Do not be alarmed; I only stunned him,' the Master said as he came over to her. He looked incredibly relieved as he reached up to untie the ropes holding her to the wall. 'How did you survive the fall?'

'A f....force field of s....some k....kind....' Blair stammered. 'It caught me, and then I got dragged in here and interrogated. Y....you didn't tell me the Spanish Inquisition came back in th....the thirty-first century....' The last rope released, and Blair staggered forward. The Master caught her.

'Have they hurt you, Blair?'

'N....n....no; but I th....think he would've if you hadn't sh....shown up just then....'

'Then it is a good thing I did.' He carefully let her go. 'Do you think you could walk to the TARDIS?'

She didn't have the chance to reply; a great roar from the upper deck interrupted her. She gasped and stumbled again, and the Master caught her hands.

'All the more reason to retreat. Do not be afraid, Blair; I shan't let the Plutosaurs near you.'

Blair thought her lungs were going to burst with the effort it took to breathe. 'I d....don't think I can go a s....step further....' she managed to get out. The Master looked at her, then crouched down to her level. Her terrified eyes met his steady ones. They were so serene; how could he be so calm.... She _wanted_ to be that calm....

'Blair, listen to me,' he said. Funny; she'd thought his eyes were coffee-coloured before, but somehow she'd missed the flecks of gold and indigo in them. They were rather fascinating, really....

'You must not resist,' he was saying. 'Allow my voice to lull you almost to sleep.' Yes, sleep; that sounded good. She _was_ rather drowsy....it would be nice to lay down and sleep for a while....

She blinked. She was in the alcove in the TARDIS.

Blair looked around. Somehow, she was lying on the settee in the TARDIS, and the Master was pouring tea across from her. She pushed herself to a sitting position.

'Okay; three questions,' she said. The Master raised an eyebrow.

'Which are....?'

'One. Why am I so calm. Two. How am I back in the TARDIS. And Three. Why are you making tea.' The Master slid a cup to her.

'Pochillian Tea, to be precise.'

'Ooh!' She picked it up and sipped.

'As to why I have made it, tea is _always_ what is needed when one must make plans. And we must make plans.'

'And the other two questions?' Blair asked.

'Both have the same answer.' The Master poured tea into his cup. 'We needed to make a swift departure, however you were all but frozen with fear, so I hypnotised you and led you back here.'

'Oh!' Blair thought about this for a moment. She didn't remember walking back here at all, but she guessed the hypnosis had given her amnesia; that's what usually happened in books. She looked at him.

'Thank you,' she said.

'It was nothing,' the Master said. 'And do not apologise; I can tell you are about to.'

Blair nearly spit out her tea. The Master gave her an incredulous look.

'Oh, Blair; surely by now you have deduced I am telepathic.'

'Well....yeah, but....it's still a bit of a shock to have your thoughts repeated to you....' The Master smiled at her.

'How else do you think I always know exactly what young Mr Hanson is furtively reading in his _Dan Dare_ comics?'

Blair snorted and set down her cup.

'Very funny!' She looked back at him again, now serious. 'So. What are these plans we need to make?'

'The Taft Machine is onboard this space station, along with the Plutosaurs. We must find a way to keep them away from each other.'

*****

They were walking down the corridor again, the Master holding Blair's hand. Before they had left the TARDIS, he had made a point of telling Blair that this time, she wasn't to run off, and although she had assured him wholeheartedly that she wouldn't, he seemed to not want to take any chances. Normally, she would've called it 'patronising' and resented being nannied like this, but she trusted her alien friend, and found holding his hand rather comforting in such a scary place. She also determined she wouldn't let panic get the best of her again. She needed to be distracted; that was it....

'Master?' she asked. 'Do you know what the Taft Machine actually _does?_ '

'Not precisely. In the wrong hands, though, it will most definitely be dangerous. However, in the _right_ hands.... _well!_ ' He smiled. 'It could prove most useful indeed.'

'I don't understand,' Blair said. 'If it's dangerous, how could it possi - '

She was cut off when the Master dragged her into a side room. 'What - ' she whispered, but he shook his head. Then, she could hear footsteps approaching.

Forget letting panic get the best of you.

As Blair peered around the edge of the doorway, she could see Mr Monk walking in their direction. She pulled her head back, and watched as he strolled past, oblivious. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he stopped, and turned back.

'The Master and Blair Kenneth!? What on Gallifrey are you doing _here!?_ '

'I am sorry,' the Master said, 'but what makes you think that is who we are?' Mr Monk scowled.

'Don't be numpty! After all you did - making a wreck of my plans and all - you have the audacity to ask how I know who you are?'

Blair squinted. She looked up at the Master. 'What's he on about?'

The Master looked distinctly smug. 'We have already won, apparently.'

'Yeah, can you cut the gloating? I always _hated_ it when you gloated.'

The Master looked even more smug.

'Wait a minute.' Mr Monk frowned. He looked at Blair for a moment, then at the Master. 'What is _she_ doing here, anyway? Are you doing a bit of meddling yourself, Master? After what your precious _recorded history_ says?'

The Master looked a little less smug.

'What does he mean what am _I_ doing here?' Blair snapped.

'Don't you wish you knew,' The Monk said, then turned and sauntered off.

'Yeah! I _do_ wish I knew! So tell us!' Blair called.

'It will do no good, Blair,' the Master said.

She turned back to him. 'Why not?'

'Because the Monk will never tell us his plans. They are relatively straightforward to deduce, however.' Blair's eyes widened.

'Hang about - you know what he's up to?' The Master nodded.

'He is setting up his own past.'

Blair looked back down the hall.

'There's nothing we can do, is there.'

'I am not sure there is. It appears that in our future, we defeat him, but only after he gives the Plutosaurs what they want today. I am assuming the Plutosaurs then travel back to the past of the Monk we just saw - our future - and _that_ is when we defeat him. We cannot meddle with causality or we become like _him_ \- or even risk losing to him, as we changed the timelines.'

Blair groaned. 'So what do we do? Just give up and go back to the TARDIS? It doesn't seem _fair!_ '

'Time is very rarely fair,' the Master said, leading her out of the room and back down the passageway. 'Come. We should depart.'

Blair thought about Mr Monk's words as they walked. She looked up at the Master.

'Master....what did he mean about me?' The Master's face was expressionless.

'I am not entirely certain.' He looked ahead. 'Do not let it distress you.'

'But....' Blair frowned. 'It sounded like something serious. About my future. Is....' She paused. 'Is there something you're not telling me?'

The Master still looked ahead. 'There are many things I do not tell you. For example; the answers to tomorrow's test.'

Blair would've laughed at this, but she wasn't in a funny mood. 'You're being evasive,' she said.

The Master looked at her piercingly, and for a moment Blair thought he was about to hypnotise her again, but she couldn't fathom why he would. But then he looked away.

'I am not certain what the Monk was referring to, Miss Blair. Perhaps he was trying to unsettle you.' Blair choked out a laugh.

'If he was, it's working.'

'Then do not give him the satisfaction.' They had arrived at the TARDIS, and the Master started to unlock the door. 'Trust me; do not allow the Monk to distress you.' Blair sighed.

'Okay.'

The door swung open, and they went in.

*****

As the TARDIS dematerialised, a tall man ran down the passageway towards the sound. When he saw the ship flickering in and out of view, he glared at no one in particular.

' _Blast!_ ' he muttered. 'I _must_ talk to her!' He turned and went back the way he had come.

 _Oh, well,_ he thought. _It wasn't the freighter, anyway; it was a space station._ He wondered how he could've made such a glaring error.

*****

That evening, in the teachers' break room, the Master stood in a corner and watched Mrs Sunderland ramble on to Mr and Mrs Teacher about some party taking place over the weekend. Somehow, Mrs Teacher managed to excuse herself from the conversation, and she joined the Master in his corner.

'I wish she'd stop being so familiar with everyone,' Mrs Teacher said, disgusted. 'She doesn't even really know George and I that well. It's annoying.'

'I heartily concur.' Mrs Teacher chuckled, and they watched everyone in silence.

'Tell me, Mrs Teacher,' the Master said after a moment, 'is Blair a good student in your class?'

She studied the biscuit she was holding. 'Yes! Very! She's _exceptional_. Why do you ask?'

'I am....vaguely concerned about her. She seems to have no friends, and from what I have heard, her mother is hardly ever around.' Mrs Teacher nodded knowingly.

'Oh....well....she _did_ have Ellen Hastings, but....I don't know. Something changed in that girl when - ' Her voice dropped to a whisper - 'when the History teacher we all know and run from came to town. As to Ms Sanders, she has some top-secret job and is rarely home because of it.'

'As to this.... _certain teacher_ ,' the Master said, 'that is what concerns me. He taunts Blair constantly, and I am not certain she has anyone to come to her defense against him. I am most concerned he will cause.... _irreparable damage._ ' He knew he was playing with fire, but he did not think Mrs Teacher would catch the subtext in his words. He could simply wipe her mind if she became suspicious, anyhow.

'Hmm,' Mrs Teacher said, clearly not picking up his true meaning. 'Have you talked about it with Mrs Sunderland?'

'I have. I managed to acquire a pass for Blair, but it is only temporary.' _What if she must return to that class and he kills her?_ he added mentally. Just then, Mrs Sunderland appeared, Mr Teacher trying to drag her away from his wife and the Master.

'Retsam! Meredith!' that irritating voice cried. 'Did I hear my name mentioned? I was just saying to George and Mortimer that you should come to the party at my house this weekend!' The Master levelled a cool gaze at her and said in the most persuasive tone he could risk in this place,

'Mrs Sunderland, my name is _Mr Suzerain_ , and her name is _Mrs Teacher._ ' Mrs Sunderland looked a bit dazed, and wandered off, leaving Mr Teacher staring. He threw a grateful - and impressed - look to the Master, and dashed off before she could find him again. When the Master looked back at Mrs Teacher, she was smirking. She looked at him.

' _You_ could stand up for Blair, Mr Suzerain.' The Master looked away, not wanting her to see he was disturbed.

'I already am,' he said quietly. 'I am simply afraid it is not enough.'


	6. Episode Six

The words carried out over the classroom, precise and clear.

'....and so you see, the metaphorical "parry" of words is forever linked to the _literal_ meaning of fending off an attack.'

Blair stood tall as she read.

'The root words _parare_ and _parez_ will always tie the two together.'

She stopped and looked up. There was a pause, and then everybody clapped. Blair grinned at Mrs Teacher as she approached.

'That was excellent, Blair,' she said. 'Thank you for that.'

'You're welcome!' Blair laughed a little. 'It was easy to write - you might even say it came from personal experience!' Mrs Teacher laughed as well, looking a little confused.

'Well, any time you want to read an essay to the class, you let me know.'

The bell rang, and all the other students ran out. As soon as they were gone, Mrs Teacher flashed Blair a worried look.

'Are you all right, Blair?' she asked. 'I heard you were having trouble with History class.' Blair nodded solemnly.

'I'm fine, Mrs Teacher; thanks.'

'All right.' She seemed uncertain. 'If you're sure.' Blair nodded again.

'I am.' Blair liked Mrs Teacher a lot, and was grateful for her concern. She wished she could tell her about the aliens and everything; she was sure she would be more than willing to help - but she knew she mustn't. It would only ruin everything, and Mrs Teacher would end up with her memory erased. Blair smiled at her.

'Thanks so much again,' she said, and turned and left.

*****

Blair went straight to the Physics classroom from there. Maybe if she arrived early enough, she and the Master could go somewhere in the TARDIS. However, when she opened the door, Thomas was inside, studying.

'Oh! Hello, Thomas! Hello, Mr Suzerain!'

'Hi, Blair!' Thomas waved.

'Good afternoon, Miss Blair,' the Master said. He was watching her rather strangely. Oh well. Nothing new. She'd figured out by now that he did that to almost everyone.

'Have you come to study?' Thomas asked. Blair sat at her desk.

'Well....not quite. I think I'll just sit here and read.' She opened her book, but hadn't gotten three words in when she realised the Master was still watching her. She looked up.

'Miss Blair, do you happen to have plans in the next few days?' he asked. 'Visiting relatives far afield, or some such event?' Blair frowned.

'No. Why?'

The Master only shook his head. 'No matter. We shall discuss it later.'

''Kay.' Blair looked back down at her book and pushed his oddness from her mind.

*****

After class, Blair and the Master walked over to the TARDIS.

'I thought perhaps a field trip might be something you would enjoy, Blair,' he said as he unlocked the ship.

'Ooh! Where are we going?'

'A small planet by the name of Octathorpe. It has a remarkable view of its galaxy's constellations, and I thought perhaps you would like to see stars at a closer vantage?'

Blair gave a little gasp of delight. 'Yes! Yes, _please!_ '

'Very well.' The Master swung the door open and ducked inside. Blair followed.

She stared around at the interior, enraptured.

'It still boggles my mind!' she breathed.

'As it should.' The Master turned on the console, and the room lit up. 'It is a thing of wonder. And not something a human could very well imagine, most likely.'

As he started to program coordinates, Blair remembered something.

'Master - what was it you wanted to talk about?'

'Hmm?' He briefly raised an eyebrow. 'Ah; I wished to inform you that we might be going on a long journey tomorrow, in case you needed to pack extra luggage.'

'A long journey?' Blair asked, excited. 'Where?'

'Hard to say, precisely.'

'Does it have to do with stopping Mr Monk?'

'Yes.'

Blair nodded eagerly. 'I'll definitely remember to pack.'

'Good.' He pulled the lever Blair had figured out made the TARDIS dematerialise, and they started off.

The ship jolted, nearly throwing them to the floor.

'What's happening!?!' Blair cried, clinging to a chair. The Master was hurriedly checking the controls.

'I do not know!' He pushed a button. 'It appears something is attempting to throw the TARDIS off course!'

'Mr Monk!?'

The TARDIS settled, and seemed to land. The Master was still fussing with the controls. 

'Everything.... _seems_ normal....' he muttered. 'I do not understand....' He turned on the scanner. 'Ah.'

Blair came over. 'What is it?'

'It appears we have been jolted off course by some kind of temporal anomaly.' Blair stared at the jungle on the scanner.

'We aren't on Octathorpe, then.'

'No. It appears....' He scrutinised the view on the scanner, then sighed. 'Oh, dear.'

'What?'

'We have landed on Plutosa.' Blair shook her head.

'Where's that?'

The Master looked at her and raised an eyebrow. 'The home planet of the Plutosaurs, naturally,' he said.

'Oh! They're not from Pluto, then?'

The Master shook his head and turned back to the scanner. 'No; they are not from Pluto, though I can see how you might come to that conclusion. However, Pluto is where atomic energy comes from.'

'Seriously?'

The Master looked at her sidelong. 'No. It was an attempt at humour. A sorry one at that.' Blair only shrugged and looked at the scanner again.

'I don't see any Plutosaurs,' she said. 'Are they asleep?'

'Yes. It is this planet's night.'

Blair frowned. 'Can we go look around? Maybe we'll find clues as to how they're going to use the Taft Machine.'The Master raised an eyebrow again.

'How very intrepid of you,' he said. 'Do you think that is a _prudent_ idea? The last two times you have encountered a Plutosaur, you were paralysed with either mind-control or terror.' Blair scuffed a foot.

'Yeah, but....oh, I don't know. I'm just curious. And I want to stop them.'

The Master studied her, and Blair noticed a curious look on his face that seemed to be both concerned and pleased at the same time. But then he was all serious again.

'If we are to investigate, you mustn't go running off again,' he said. 'Do you understand?'

Blair nodded, and he turned off the scanner.

'Very well.' He took her hand, and they went to the door.

*****

They walked down a path through the jungle, and Blair couldn't help but stare at the dark green of the trees. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen trees that colour before. It was....not really _beautiful_ , just sort of _haunting._ She didn't know if she liked it or not.

'It's kinda scary,' she said in the end, 'but also kind of pretty, if you get what I mean.'

'It does possess a certain pulchritude,' the Master said.

' _Pulchritude?_ ' Blair stumbled over the word. 'You really pick the strangest adjectives sometimes.' He chuckled.

'It means beauty, Blair.'

They walked in silence again for a time, then Blair asked,

'What do you think pulled the TARDIS off course?'

'I do not know. Perhaps - ' He was cut off by a man running wildly across their path and almost crashing into them.

'Hey!' the man shouted. 'Mind where you're - oh, _no!_ Not _you_ two again!'

Blair and the Master stared in horror at Mr Monk.

'Can't I ever get away from you?' he snapped. 'It's like everywhere I go it's always Blair and the Master! Look; you _sent_ me here - can't I get some peace? Give me the benefit of the doubt!' He scowled, and moved as if to walk away, then turned his head.

'Oh - and if you happen to see my TARDIS, let me know where it is, eh? The Plutosaurs time-scooped it after you _stole_ it, _Blair_ , and it's in pretty bad shape.'

He stormed off.

'Bad shape....' the Master muttered. 'I wonder....'

'Er....I didn't steal his TARDIS....' Blair shook her head confusedly. They started walking again.

'That must be the cause of the temporal disturbance,' the Master said. 'The Monk's damaged TARDIS must be releasing large enough amounts of artron energy to interrupt our flight path.'

'I don't get it; what's artron energy?'

'TARDISes emit a type of energy called Artron energy. Think of it as an exhaust; such as on an automobile. If enough of that energy leaches into the Time Vortex in one place, it would most certainly disrupt the flight patterns of any capsules that happen to cross its path.' Blair looked worried.

'Are we able to leave?'

'I am not certain. Perhaps....hm. Unfortunately, the only thing to do seems to be to find the Monk's TARDIS and repair it.'

'But....if this is another future version of Mr Monk, won't we be meddling in our own timelines?'

'I think not. We would not be interfering in whatever we did to send him here; I see no reason why not to.'

Blair thought about this for a moment. The workings of time travel were getting more confusing by the day.

 _I trust him, though,_ she thought. _He does this all the time; he knows what he's doing._

'All right. I'll take your word for it,' she said, her mind still reeling. The Master was drawing his TCE and soon started to scan the area. It made a faster sound to the left, and they turned.

'This way.'

They walked down that path for a while, until the trees started to thin. The TCE started _wraw_ ing faster.

'It appears to be in a nearby clearing,' the Master said, and sure enough, the trees soon parted.

They drew up short as a Plutosaur lurched towards them.

'STOP!' it roared, and the Master swiftly flicked the TCE settings to standard.

'Do not come any nearer, creature!' he barked. 'Not unless you crave your immediate demise!'

The Plutosaur stopped and stared at them. The Master levelled the TCE at it with a steady hand.

'It does not look old enough to have full psionic capabilities,' he said, pulling Blair closer, 'but if you feel the slightest mental nudge, you are to immediately look me in the eyes, Blair.'

Blair was shaking. She hadn't counted on this; the Plutosaurs were all supposed to be asleep. And that's when she noticed.

'Wait.... P....please, Master....' She could barely get the words out; there wasn't even a cage in between her and the Plutosaur this time. 'Please....don't kill it....' The Master frowned.

'If it comes a _fraction_ of a centimeter closer to you, I will not _hesitate_ to kill it!'

'Look at it....I think it's scared. It's shaking.'

The Master narrowed his eyes. And then he saw it as well. They both stared at it for a moment. Blair gulped.

'Pl....Plutosaur?' she called. 'Are you sc....scared? We're not here to hurt you. We just need to get to the spaceship behind you.'

'YOU MUST NOT PASS! THE CAPSULE IS CONFISCATED PROPERTY!'

Blair whimpered, but forced herself to carry on. 'W....we d....don't want to take it. We just need to stop it from letting off exhaust, 'cos it's causing a temporal traffic jam. C....ca....can you p....please stop being so intimidating? I think my teacher thinks you want to eat me.'

No one said a word. The Master still held the TCE out. Blair gripped his hand hard.

And the Plutosaur moved into the trees.

'YOU MAY PASS,' it said.

The Master's jaw dropped. Blair gasped.

'It worked!' The Master let out a sigh of relief.

'You seem to have a diplomatic flair, Blair,' he said. They began to move forward.

'You just rhymed,' Blair said with a nervous grin.

*****

They had been inside Mr Monk's TARDIS for a while. Not only had the door been swinging unlocked on its hinges, but the console had been cracked open with wires dangling out when they arrived, and the Master had ducked under it to try to figure out what the problem was. Blair was far from bored watching him; at one point she'd crawled under the console for a better look, but ended up banging her head and crawled back out again.

There was a fizzing sound, and the Master slowly crawled out.

'Is that it?' Blair asked. The Master straightened and ran a hand through his hair.

'It should be sufficient for now. We will at least be able to leave.' He smiled apologetically at her. 'I am sorry we did not arrive on Octathorpe as planned.'

'It's all right. I've definitely seen the sights _here_.'

He came over and took her hand, and they walked towards the door. 'Perhaps tomorrow,' he said.

Blair furrowed her brow. 'I thought we were going on a "long journey" tomorrow; that's what you said....'

'I shall add it to the itinerary. Quickly; we must depart. It will be sunrise soon, and I do not wish to be here when the Plutosaurs wake.' He pushed open the door, and they stepped out.

Right in front of Mr Monk.

'You found my TARDIS,' he said. 'What were you doing in my TARDIS - haven't you done enough with it already?' The Master narrowed his eyes.

'None of your concern,' he said sharply. 'Begone.' He tried to march Blair past him, but Mr Monk grabbed her arm, pulling her away from him.

'HEY!!!' Blair shouted.

' _Her_ days are numbered, _Master,_ ' he hissed. He had a self-satisfied smirk, as well as a strong grip on _both_ Blair's arms now, and she couldn't struggle out. To her shock, the Master drew his TCE and aimed it at Mr Monk.

' _LET. HER. GO._ '

Mr Monk paled, and shoved Blair away from himself, then dashed for the treeline. The Master tucked away the TCE.

'You were actually going to kill him?' Blair gasped, pushing herself to her feet.

'No; I would have hit you if I had attempted that.' He studied Blair as she came over and took his hand. It looked like something had just dawned on him, Blair thought, or he'd just found the missing piece to a puzzle.

'What is it?' she asked.

'Nothing you must trouble yourself with,' he only said.

They started off, Blair gripping the Master's hand hard again. Eventually, she realised what Mr Monk had said and furrowed her brow.

'Wh....why are my days numbered?' she whispered. 'What's he gonna do to me?'

'I do not know, Blair, but rest assured I shall safeguard you from - '

'But he's from our _future!_ He knows something! It has to be something that happens in my future!'

The Master gave Blair that same piercing look he had on the space station, then quickly looked away again.

'For all you know, Blair, he may be trying to vex you so you do something rash; it could be his form of revenge; he stirs you up enough that you make a mistake in his past; our future - and it changes _his_ timeline. You must be calm. But rest assured, Blair, I will do the best I can to make certain that he does not hurt you.'

They had reached the TARDIS. Blair was still frightened, and she knew it was obvious. 'I want to go home,' she said.

'Understood.' The Master did not let go of her hand as he unlocked the door. She couldn't tell whether this was supposed to be reassuring, or if he was secretly as scared of her being snatched away as she was. They stepped inside, and the door shut behind them.

*****

The next morning, Blair packed her favourite books, a few extra clothes, and her teddy bear in her backpack. She looked around the room to make sure she hadn't missed anything, and saw her MP3 player sitting on the side table. She was just stuffing it in the backpack when Mum called.

'Blair! It'll be time to go soon!'

'I'm coming, Mum!'

She took one last look around, grabbed a book and shoved it in, then zipped the bag shut and slung it over her back.

*****

'Morning, Mum,' she called as she walked into the living room.

'Morning, Blair!' Her mum appeared and put a plate of wheat bars on the table. 'Here; have some breakfast.'

Blair sat and picked up the plate. The thought of Mr Monk's threats crossed her mind, and she sighed. Was her life really in danger? She put down the plate and abruptly hugged her mum.

'I love you so much,' she said, trying not to cry.

'I love you, too.' Blair almost broke at that; almost told her about the aliens, and the Master, and Mr Monk, but she shoved it down. It would only endanger Mum, and she didn't want that. She pulled away and tried to eat.

'I hope you have a nice day at work,' she managed eventually.

'Ditto your school day, love. Anything special going on there today?'

 _What irony_ , she thought. 'I think so. In Science class, maybe.'

'Well you have fun.'

 _If only you knew, Mum._ 'Thanks, Mum,' she said, got up, and put her plate in the sink.

*****

Blair pushed the wooden door open and walked into the classroom. The Master looked up from the lesson he was putting together and smiled. Her heart lifted a little; she felt safer now.

'Are you ready to visit Octathorpe?' the Master asked.

'Sure. Do I need to bring my bag with me?' The Master got up and walked over to the grandfather clock.

'I do not see why not. You could leave it in the TARDIS while we are stargazing.' He unlocked the door, and Blair came over.

'Okay.'

The door swung open and they went inside.

*****

Blair looked up from the surface of Octathorpe, wondering how so many stars could be so close without burning you up.

'This is so....' She shook her head. 'Beautiful doesn't even describe it.'

'I thought you might find it so.'

The two of them stared up at the view.

The Master broke the silence. 'I once had a friend who very much wished to visit Octathorpe. We were going to go together. It never happened, unfortunately.'

'That's sad.'

A star flared past as it fell.

'It matters not,' the Master sighed. 'Besides; I am visiting Octathorpe with a friend right now, am I not?'

'I'm glad we're friends,' Blair said simply, and they both went silent again as another shooting star flashed by.

*****

Back inside the TARDIS, the Master had only just turned on the console when a light began pulsing and a ringing sound started. His face showed unease.

'What's that?' Blair asked.

'An alert. We must return to the school.'

He pushed a few buttons, and pulled the dematerialisation lever.

*****

No sooner had they landed than Blair heard screams and thuds coming from outside. She and the Master looked at each other, and the Master flipped on the scanner.

It was terrible. The students were running around the classroom screaming while Plutosaurs thudded about, barely avoiding stomping on them.

'No....' Blair gasped. He nodded.

'And so the invasion begins.'


	7. Episode Seven

Blair threw the door switch and ran to the door before the Master could stop her. He rushed over and dragged her back; she protested loudly.

'We have to _do_ something!' she shouted.

'No.' He stood in the doorway, blocking her escape. 'Stay back, Blair - _I_ will do something.'

He studied the scene and attempted to formulate a hurried plan. There was no time to hypnotise Blair so she would stay inside, so he would simply have to risk it. He drew the Tissue Compression Eliminator, sprinted out the door, and fired at the first Plutosaur he saw. Its roar rose to a squeak as it was miniaturised, but only the student whom it had been about to attack noticed. Thomas.

'Mr Suzerain! Help!' he screamed, running over. The Master pointed at the door.

'Mr Andrews, you are to go home at once. _Run_ ; while you still have the opportunity. Do not stop until you are in the safety of your flat.'

'But - '

' _No!_ ' The Master shouted. 'Thomas! I will brook no argument! Obey me at _once! Run!_ '

Without another word, Thomas took off.

The Master saw another Plutosaur about to step on somebody else, and he fired the TCE at it. It fell behind the terrified student, who dove for the door without noticing. The Master looked to the left, and saw Blair standing beside him.

'Blair! I told you to stay in the TARDIS!'

'I'm not standing by and watching you get eaten by alien dinosaurs!' she shouted. 'I'm helping!'

The Master looked around, and seeing a fire alarm, pointed.

'Go pull the fire alarm, then _stay in the TARDIS!_ I shall return.'

He ran for the door, firing a parting shot at the last Plutosaur in the room.

*****

He barreled into Mrs Sunderland's office. She yelped and almost dropped the phone she was holding.

'What is the meaning of this?' she yelled. 'We need to evacuate the school!' The Master waved this away.

'Mrs Sunderland, your assistance is not required in the evacuation. Go home.'

'I will _not!_ ' She was livid. 'Who do you think you _are?_ '

Thankfully _this_ was the last time he would have to endure this. 'I am the Master, Mrs Sunderland,' he said quietly. 'Do you not remember?' Mrs Sunderland instantly snapped into a trance. _She may be exasperating,_ the Master thought, _but at least she is not intractable._

'Yes....the Master....' she murmured. 'I must obey you.' 

'Yes. That is right. Obey me _now,_ Mrs Sunderland, and go _home._ '

'Yes, Master,' she mumbled as she left the room. The Master slammed the door behind her and locked it, then picked up the intercom.

'Attention, students,' he said. 'Attention, staff. This message is vital to you all.'

*****

'If you value your lives,' came Mr Suzerain's voice over the intercom, 'you will run as fast and as far as possible. This school is currently held under siege by dangerous foes.'

Ellen shook her head in wonder. 'You say you know who Mr Suzerain is?' she asked Mr Monk.

'I should've guessed it sooner,' he said. 'That miniature Plutosaur should've been a dead giveaway.'

'That's a morbid pun, Mr Monk.'

'What?' He looked confused for a moment. 'Oh! Sorry. Didn't mean that.'

'What're we going to do?' she asked.

'I have a plan. Quick - into the TARDIS.'

*****

The Master ran into the TARDIS just as Blair was about to try to figure out how to use the scanner to look for him. She looked up.

'Thank you for not running off,' he said, and ran to the console. He started to program the controls. Blair was horrified.

'We can't just leave!'

'We aren't. I heard the Monk's TARDIS materialise in the basement as I returned. That is where we are headed.'

He pulled the dematerialisation lever and they took off, then shortly landed. He switched on the scanner, and Ellen and Mr Monk's shocked faces appeared.

'I will confront them, Blair. You are to stay here.'

'Hey!' Blair protested. Of _course_ she was going to help - isn't that what she'd signed up for? 'I can handle - '

'You might think so, however, I have certain knowledge of the situation.' He flipped the door switch and walked towards the door. 'Especially of how, in this particular case, it is _specifically_ too dangerous for you.'

He walked out and closed the door behind him. Blair worriedly turned to the scanner.

*****

' _You!_ What do you think _you're_ doing here, Master? This is _my_ invasion - not yours!'

The Master smiled at the Monk.

'What am I doing, you ask? I am here for Edmond Taft's Machine.'

Miss Hastings scowled at him. 'Whoever you are, Mr Suzerain, you can't have it!' The Master had to suppress a laugh. How confident she was that she could stop him. So confident. But she was also in over her head.

'Miss Hastings,' he said, 'you do not comprehend the situation fully. If I were you, I would stay out of it.'

'I understand the situation _perfectly!_ ' she growled. 'You're trying to stop Mr Monk! Well. I'm gonna stop _you_.'

The Master looked calmly at the Monk.

'Mortimus, would you care to restrain your assistant? This does not involve her, and I'd rather she wasn't caught in the crossfire.' Ellen made a furious spluttering sound.

'You're really full of it, aren't you?' the Monk said. 'You want Edmond Taft's Machine? It's in that hole over there. We can't get it out.'

The Master knew what the Monk was doing. He was trying to get him to turn his back on them. Well. They did not know that he knew this.

'Thank you,' he said, and walked over to the hole. He drew his TCE as if to scan, but held it more lightly than normal. And felt it knocked out of his hand.

The Master spun around. It was Ellen who was aiming the TCE at him. Good. With a smile, he raised his hands.

'You better stay that way, too!' Ellen snapped.

'Looks like we've got you cornered, eh?' the Monk said. 'Not so masterful now, are you?'

'Oh....you have no idea. Miss Hastings - '

The Monk whipped out a staser and aimed it at him.

'If you try hypnotism, I'll shoot you down!'

'I see,' the Master said, still looking at Ellen. 'And I'm assuming it's set to stun? You do not strike me as the kind of person who would kill someone directly. You tend to have.... _others_ do it for you.' This with a pointed look at Ellen. The Monk blanched.

'It's not set to stun!' he snapped.

'Yes; of _course_ it's not.'

'Shut up!' Ellen shouted. The Master sighed.

'Or _what_ , Miss Hastings? Do you even know what you are aiming at me?'

'I _said_ \- '

'It is called a Tissue Compression Eliminator. It either reduces the space between atoms, or decreases the amount of atoms in the body; either of those happens to be quite fatal. Why don't you try it? Shoot me. See if I am lying.'

Ellen backed up a step, shaking her head. The Master's smile grew a little. So he _had_ been correct.

And just at the wrong moment, Blair came charging out of the TARDIS.

' _You leave the Master ALONE!!!_ ' she screamed.

The Master froze. 'No! Blair - do not - '

Blair jumped on Ellen, and the Tissue Compression Eliminator fired.

Blair screamed. The Master dashed over to her and seized her hands. It had only hit her hands....she was still alive....that was most important.....

'Blair Kenneth, you wonderful _cretin_ ,' he said.

'It hurts....' Blair gasped, 'so much....'

' _Never_ do such a foolish thing again,' he scolded. 'Which hand is it?'

'My left....' The Master heard a gasp from Ellen as he uncovered Blair's hand to examine it. The pointer finger had been shrunk to about half its size. Ellen dropped the TCE.

'I....I didn't mean to....' The Master snatched it away.

'You could have _killed her!_ '

'I....' She looked horrified. 'I'm _sorry!_ '

'Please....' whispered Blair, 'can you make it stop!'

Without a word, the Master rose, walked to the basement door, and blasted the lock controls with the TCE. When he turned around, he saw the Monk looking confusedly around for his TARDIS, which had somehow vanished. Good. He strode back to Blair, lifted her to her feet, and walked her to the TARDIS.

'No one leaves this room,' he said, before opening the door and helping Blair inside.

*****

Blair was sobbing by the time they got into the corridor.

'I s....saw her about to shoot you and just - '

'Hush, Blair,' the Master said gently. 'Thank you for what you did.'

Blair sobbed more as they turned a corner and stopped before a door. the Master unlocked it and helped her inside.

'Come. Into the laboratory. You are not allowed to blow up this one.' She smiled briefly as he helped her into a chair, but not for long. She felt a fresh stab of pain in her hand and cried out.

'Is this what Mr Monk meant?' she whispered when she'd caught her breath. 'Am I going to die?' Her mind was racing. The Master sat down across from her and held her injured hand.

'Look deep into my eyes, Blair,' he said. She sniffed and looked up at him. His eyes seemed infinite. 'Just as before; do not resist. Allow your mind to drift.' Blair stared into the impossible depth of his eyes and felt herself slip into oblivion.

*****

The next thing Blair knew, she was hearing a clicking in front of her. Her eyes flickered open, and she noticed that her hand wasn't hurting anymore. She looked down at it, and to her surprise, her finger was back to normal. She looked up at the Master questioningly.

'I pieced together a device to reverse the damage. I have never had to do that before, and it was quite the challenge, but as you see, it worked.'

Blair stared at her hand. It still tingled a little, but that was it.

'Are you still in pain?' the Master asked. Blair shook her head.

'Thank you so much,' she said. She looked back up at him. 'We need to go stop Ellen and Mr Monk.'

'Correction.' His gaze was stern. 'This time, Miss Blair Kenneth, you will stay in the TARDIS.'

'But - '

'Not that again, Blair.' She frowned. It didn't take a genius to guess what he was thinking of doing next.

'Don't you dare try to hypnotise me into staying,'

The Master looked at her askance. 'You really are stubborn, aren't you?'

'You bet your boots I am.' The Master looked over his shoulder, then stood up.

'Come back to the Alcove,' he said.

They walked back out to the Console Room, and Blair confusedly sat down on the settee in the Alcove.

'Stay here,' the Master said, and walked away. Blair frowned. What was he doing?

*****

His spur-of-the-moment plan put into action, the Master walked down the corridor and into the Console Room with a tea tray. He set it down in front of Blair, whose eyebrows shot up.

'Tea at a time like _this!?_ ' she exclaimed. He poured a cup and slid it to her.

'Certainly,' he said. 'Whyever not?'

'Well, I _am_ kind of thirsty after all of that,' Blair laughed, and picked up her cup. She took agulp.

Nearly gagging, she put the cup back down and swallowed hard.

'What tea _is_ that!?' she gasped.

'Pochillian, of course,' the Master said. Blair shook her head emphatically.

'Sorry, Master, but I think you must've brewed it wrong!'

'Oh?' He did not look concerned. 'What does it taste like?'

Blair snorted. 'Let's just say that if I was in a mystery novel, I'd be waving my arms around and screaming, "I'm poisoned! I'm poisoned!"' She looked at her cup with disdain.

And collapsed sideways onto the settee.

The Master calmly rose and walked over to the console.

'Not _poisoned,_ Miss Blair,' he said, although he knew she could not hear him, 'simply _sedated_. I will not allow the more drastic interpretation of "Missing, Presumed Dead" to come to pass.' He flicked the door switch and walked to the door. 'And I am not sorry in the least.

He stepped outside.

*****

Ellen had the staser now. She pointed it awkwardly at Mr Monk, who was frantically trying to rewire the door lock.

'If you unlock that door, I'll shoot!' she said.

'Come on, Ellen! Be reasonable - '

'Reasonable!? You tricked me! You told me that cylinder was a stun weapon - not something that shrinks people to death! What else have you lied to me about!?'

'Perhaps the Taft Machine?' came a voice. Ellen looked in its direction and saw Mr Suzerain. Her eyes widened.

'Please - is she alive?'

'Yes. She is asleep for now.'

Ellen breathed out. 'Oh, what a _relief!_ I couldn't _live_ with myself if I'd killed her!'

'Stop talking with the traitor, Master,' Mr Monk muttered. Ellen almost screamed.

' _Traitor!?_ After what you've done you call me _that!?_ '

'Do you really wish to stop him, Miss Hastings?' the Master asked.

' _Yes!_ ' Ellen shouted. The Master took the staser from her, checked the settings, and fired it. The Monk crumpled to the floor.

'Then help me bind him,' he said.

*****

'Aw....my _head!_ ' The Monk coughed, then tried to move forward. He gasped. 'I - I can't move!'

'Yes; that is generally the idea when one is tied to a chair.' He gasped again and the Master smiled. He had purposely chosen to be behind him when he awoke. 

'Wh....what are you going to do to me....?' The Monk asked, faltering.

'There are many options, you know,' the Master said. He hoped to scare the snivelling coward into never doing something like this again. If anyone was going to conquer this primitive rock it would be _him_ , the _Master_ ; not some second-rate, mercenary confidence man.

'Shouldn't we do it now?' Miss Hastings asked.

'Ellen?' the Monk cried. 'Is that you? Get me out of here!'

'Not a _chance_ , Mr Monk.' She glared at the back of his head.

' _Please!_ '

'Never!' She turned to the Master. 'Mr Suzerain, shall I flip the switch?'

'No,' he said. 'I shall do it.'

'S....switch? What switch?' A fly flew next to the Monk's ear, and the Master obliterated it with the TCE at it as quickly as it came. The Monk whimpered.

'You are completely at my mercy, Monk,' he said, his voice low. 'Consider that for a moment.' He tucked away the TCE and slowly walked around the Monk until he was facing him.

'Miss Hastings and I retrieved the Taft Machine; it was in a crate with two _other_ devices Edmond Taft had invented. Look at your arm.'

The Monk shakily looked down at the flat object with a dial and a switch that was tied to his arm. 'What is that?' he said. 'What are you going to do to me?'

The Master smiled. 'Disintegrate you.'

' _WHAT!?!?!?!_ '

'That box is a rudimentary teleportation device. I have set it - on a timer - so you will be transported to Plutosa. I need only flip the switch, and the timer will begin counting down.'

'Plutosa!? I don't want to go there - who knows what they'll do to me now that I've failed!'

'I never said you had a choice in the matter. That is where you are going.' He flipped the switch and stood back.

'Well....I _say_ that is where you are going, but that teleportation device _is_ rather old....' The Monk gaped.

'You can't mean - _no!!!_ '

'Who knows if it will have enough energy to put you back together?'

' _NOOOOO!!!!_ ' the Monk screamed as he flashed, then receded from view.

The door to the TARDIS flew open, and Blair came running out. Of course.

'I'm royally ticked off, and my head is _killing_ me!' she snapped.

'Hello, Blair,' the Master said.

'Blair!' Miss Hastings cried. 'I'm so sorry!'

Blair stared at her for a moment, open-mouthed. She started to say something, when suddenly there was the sound of a TARDIS materialising, and a large cabinet appeared in the room. The door opened, and the Monk's grinning face came around the doorframe.

'If _I_ can't have the Taft Machine, _no one_ will,' he said, and rolled a bomb out of the TARDIS, right up to the Machine. Everyone stepped back.

'But you were teleported!' Miss Hastings said, pointing to the remaining device.

'Ah, but the Plutosaurs time-scooped my TARDIS with technology I gave them.' The Monk grinned. 'What nice chaps, really. See you later. Or not.'

He disappeared, the door slammed, and the TARDIS disappeared. Blair picked up the teleport device.

'Not on my watch!' she said. The Master realised what she was about to do and moved to stop her. She _could_ not -

'No - Blair - you mustn't - it barely has any power left!'

'Well, here's hoping, then,' she said, and threw the switch. She flashed, and faded away.

The Master stared. No - it could not be - not after all he'd done to prevent this....

_No...._

'Mr Suzerain, there's a giant bomb....' The frightened voice broke off the Master's thoughts, and he reached into his pocket.

'Yes; now, Miss Hastings, I am very sorry to have to do this, but I can sense something about y - '

He was interrupted by a TARDIS materialising in the same spot the Monk's had just left from. The door opened, and someone stepped out.

'BLAIR!!!' the Master and Ellen cried simultaneously. She grinned.

'In the flesh.' She dropped the teleporter as she ran up to them. 'The fast-return switch is amazing! I ditched the Monk on Plutosa and then used it to come back here!'

'This is all my fault; I have to track him down and put an end to this,' Miss Hastings said. The Master looked at her, and saw her gripping the teleport tightly. Blair gasped.

'No - Ellen - it barely worked for me - stop!' She shook her head.

'I'm sorry, Blair, but no. Goodbye.'

She flipped the switch and disappeared.

Blair let out a cry. The Master ran to his TARDIS and unlocked the door.

'Into the TARDIS _now_ ,' he said, and Blair turned and ran.

Once they were both inside with the door shut, the Master flipped on the scanner. 'I am assuming the Monk's TARDIS will be badly damaged in the explosion before it is time-scooped back to Plutosa,' he said. 'Good work, Blair.'

'Are we safe in here?' she asked. The Master nodded as he flicked a switch.

'I have just activated the force fields,' he said.

There was a loud bang, and a crash, and a group of armed soldiers rushed through the gap where the basement door used to be. The Master's eyes widened.

' _NO!_ ' he cried. ' _UNIT!_ Mrs Sunderland must have phoned their headquarters!' Blair gasped, and he turned to her. She was pointing at the scanner.

'What is it?' he asked.

 

'Th....that's my _mum!_ '

His eyes widened a bit more. This could not be a good thing. 'Where?' Blair continued to point at a tall woman with red hair.

'There!'

And he knew what she was about to do.

In a trice, the Master clapped his hand over her mouth; just as she started to call out to her mother.

'Not another word, Miss Blair,' he said. She tried to shout a muffled protest, but he kept his hand over her mouth. 'You will be silent.'

The soldiers on the screen found the bomb and ran back up the stairs, seeming to know it was about to go off. The Master uncovered Blair's mouth, and she gasped for air.

'Wh - what was _that_ all about!?' An explosion rocked the TARDIS, and on the screen, the damage to the Monk's ship was plain to see, as well as its vanishing into thin air.

'I am very sorry, Blair,' the Master said. 'This is for your own good.'

He reached out and pulled the demat lever.

Blair rushed over and tried to stop him, but he pushed her hands away.

'No - no - no!' she said. 'What're you doing?! I have to see if Mum's all right!'

'She is not harmed,' the Master said. He did not look at her. 'But I am afraid you can never see her again.' He did not need to look at her to know she was staring at him. There was a moment of silence.

'What?' Blair's voice was a whisper. The Master looked over at her, hoping she would understand.

'Go sit in the alcove,' he said, 'and I shall explain.'

*****

Blair stared at the table, her mind awhirl. Why _couldn't_ she see Mum again? What did _that_ have to do with anything? And what was UNIT?

The Master sat down across from her, on the chair. He sighed.

'I truly am sorry about this, Blair; I can see that it hurts you.'

'Yeah, well....' Blair mumbled. The Master sighed again.

'Do you remember those papers I was reading when we were in Cornwall?' Blair nodded. 'They were about you.'

Blair looked up. 'There's an entry in the Databanks about _me?_ Why?'

'According to recorded history, your school was destroyed in an explosion, during which you disappeared without a trace,' he said. 'You were presumed dead by your family and the authorities.'

Blair gulped.

'You mean I should be dead?' The Master shook his head solemnly.

'I, too, thought that at first, but then I realised that the Databanks did not say you had died, only _disappeared_. There was not much specification about dates, and so I have been actively attempting to keep you out of any mortal danger, though I must say you have given me a few good scares.' Blair didn't laugh.

'However, yesterday,' the Master continued, 'I found that the date the school was destroyed was today, and I decided that if it came to it, I could perhaps whisk you away at the last moment before any fatal blow could be dealt to you. That is why I suggested you bring extra luggage with you today, because I assumed that one way or another, you would not return home, and I wished to hope for the best.'

Blair couldn't believe her ears. It all made sense now. 'Is that why Mr Monk kept making all those threats?' she asked. The Master nodded.

'The vagueness of his threats led me to believe that I was correct, and you were safe, however.'

There was a pause.

'I can't _ever_ go home?'

'You cannot. I am sorry.'

Blair looked down and put her face in her hands. She couldn't go home. How was that possible? She felt her heart speeding up. _No; this is not the time,_ she thought angrily.

'Thank you for saving my life,' she said, in a strained voice.

'You are welcome.'

After a moment, Blair sniffed and looked up. 'Did the Databanks say anything about Ellen?'

The Master's reply was quick. 'They said exactly the same thing they said about you.'

'Oh. So she's disintegrated somewhere.'

There was another pause.

'You never told me your mother worked in UNIT,' the Master said matter-of-factly. Blair shrugged.

'I didn't know. She was always so secretive about her job. What's UNIT, anyway?'

'One of your Earth governments' organisations; the "United Nations", I believe. It mainly deals with extraterrestrial threats.' He smiled wryly. 'We have.... _a history_ , you might say.'

Blair almost couldn't take this all in. 'Mum was an anti-alien soldier, and I never knew,' she muttered. Then, she gave a thin smile and said, 'Well, who am I to stop the family tradition of being around aliens?' Now the Master smiled.

'Welcome aboard the TARDIS, Blair Kenneth,' he said. 'I hope you long consider it home.'

Suddenly, an alarm sounded from the other room. They both turned towards it.

'What's that?' Blair asked.

'A distress call.'

'Can we answer it?' she asked. The Master nodded and got up. Blair followed him to the console.

*****

On a barren desert planet, near a runway for space freighters, a tall, blond-haired girl stood, tapping her foot and holding a makeshift signalling device.

'That distress call better work,' she muttered. 'I want off here.'

She grinned as she heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS materialising a few feet away. The door opened, and out ran her oldest friend.

*****

_The End_

_But also the beginning...._

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Encounter on Kaldor](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18517492) by [a_walking_shadow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_walking_shadow/pseuds/a_walking_shadow)




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